Small-cap stocks in the United Kingdom and Europe are attractive because they provide added diversification within domestic, not global, markets. In addition, their valuations are more attractive than those of their large-cap brethren.
With world markets mired in a severe synchronised slowdown, the long-term outlook for U.K. and continental European equities remains uncertain. While capital markets may take short-term comfort in further interest rate cuts by the European Central Bank and the Bank of England, extra liquidity and lower borrowing costs may not be enough to encourage nervous…
The recent rally has led to speculation that the euro may be embarking on a prolonged bull market and the outlook for the euro/U.S. dollar exchange rate clearly hinges on the relative strength of the U.S. and euro-zone economies, and the outlook for relative capital demand in particular.
While most economic indicators are clearly heading south, U.K. consumers continue to hit the shops, showing no signs of retrenchment. Rising financial wealth and steady growth in real disposable income have helped sustain strong consumption growth over the last few years, but the fall in equity value, moderating real income growth, and the threat of…
Evaluation of the effect of FTSE restructuring their indexes, specifically the FTSE All-Share Index, to better reflect the underlying free float reveals that index changes will be minor in the United Kingdom. The dearth of restricted holdings in the U.K. market should minimize the turnover and trading costs associated with FTSE’s change over to free-float…
The euro-zone economy has undoubtedly caught some sort of bug, and investors are struggling to diagnose whether this is just a cold or a more serious case of the flu. On the one hand, business sentiment and industrial production have dropped sharply, but on the other hand consumer sentiment and spending have held up relatively…
A quick survey of representative global equity managers indicates that they have moved to an overweight position in U.K. equities, and are now underweight Europe ex U.K.
After a decade of meager returns, U.K. small-cap equities have enjoyed a reversal of fortune in the past two years, rewarding investors that have tolerated the higher risks and lower liquidity associated with this sector. Although relatively attractive on a valuation basis, U.K. small-caps remain very much a cyclical play, vulnerable—as always—to any significant deterioration…
Our dividend discount model indicates that U.K. equities are now fairly valued, while continental European equities are slightly undervalued.
Economic integration, the trend of deregulation and privatization, surging M&A activity, and the increasing acceptance of leverage in corporate financing have provided the catalyst for an expanding European high-yield market.