I wouldn't expect any different though having come out of lockdown. It would've been horrific if we hadn't. The real test will be to see how we compare with the other top European countries.
Why do we have to keep comparing ourselves only to the top European countries? Why not compare us with all European countries, the real test is to make it possible for all human survuval, for all countries peoples to survive and stop having a race to see which one achieves the highest death count.. Health is more important than wealth but poverty creates ill health and early death, it's a twin path to walk, all governments have the same problems, the same choices. I agree it would have been horriific if the growth rate had not been achieved but look at the billions the UK government has spent supporting those aims and no one wants to give them credit for their efforts, all I can say is I am genuinely pleased, proud and relieved to both live in and be a UK citizen.
Mate that is a smartarsed comment and undeserved, I believe I have just read you and yours are suffering from Covid, I wish you all well and a complete speedy recovery, that is what matters.
Yeah you're right, I did retract it before your post but you got there first. Thank you for the well wishes despite my post, I'm lucky enough in that it's not really affecting me. Going by my housemates though I wouldn't recommend it to anyone else...
should the top European countries fare better than us fair do's .. you have to base things on a period of time .. not 3 month's … the top countries in EUROPE WILL SOON FIND they have to find another 3bn euro a year where as we are about to save [ theoretically ] 12bn.. although at least half of that likely to pay the MAFF related industries the grants and help ex euro funding provided!
Yeah the past week in particular has been great, shares have gone through the roof. Just hope it holds throughout 2021, theoretically it should.
they have caught a bit, wouldn't say through the roof but still doing well. My 3 lots of bank shares are going in right direction one still -£6k, another -£2k the third - £1k + 2 of the others back above first lockdown .. healthier than August though ...
Stocks have bounced since the Covid vaccine announcement, but they've been moving steadily back upwards since April.
my portfolio is quite diverse and generally you are on the cusp of being correct …. taking march as starting point some gone up some down some hovering and some have peaked pre mid October to slide back... banks are currently doing well , but none paid their half year divi's cost me a few hundred quid... normally enough to pay my first 2 -3 months council tax! and I am band D ….
JGF, I'm not on the "cusp" of anything - I'm talking from experience. To help me manage my pension funds, eight years ago in 2012 I opened a separate £10K investment ISA to track trends - I don't bother with individaul company stocks prefering to use fund managers who know far more than you or me. For the widest view possible (not just follow the FTSE 100 in UK) it only contains 3 components - Dimensional Global Core Equity, Global Small Company Equity and Global Emerging Markets. It goes up and down daily, but whenever it climbs to £10.5K I generate and draw down the 500 quid excess cash to return it back to its original value and let it go again. This past 8 years I've probably done that a dozen times but last April it's value dropped frighteningly to only £8K with the pandemic at it's initial height - I'd effectively "lost" 2K. Time for panic? Pull out and dive into bonds or even just cash? No, stick with it and sit on your hands. Some 7 months on from there, even though we've been in such a sorry state internationally, it climbed steadily back to £10.5K last week and I took another 500 quid cash thank you. Each international event can have a massive impact on the global markets and despite the troughs, if you're patient, the overall trend over time is growth.
this is your statement.. nothing to do with managed funds ..... Stocks ...... " they've been moving steadily back upwards since April" as I pointed out, not all have ... some come up and gone down some have stayed down so as a generalization your comment is incorrect! Should be "some are rising steadily" however terminology of cusp means more correct than incorrect. Yes I understand your methodology regarding your funds ... you can use same method to trade in bit coin .. simple process really buy when down sell when up.. my portfolio started in 1981 with £1200 now worth £ a lot. And thanks to Covid will be worth a massive amount more when stocks hit January 2020 levels!
JGF - you can be such a pedant on times. Of course it was a generalisation and is therefore not incorrect. Indexes reflect stock values - the international indexes have been moving steadily back upwards from a low point at the end of March. They received a boost with the recent covid vaccine announcement but they've been rising since April anyway. Obviously some individual stocks benefit from certain events and some lose as a result - that's the nature of the markets. When the vaccine news was announced, UK listed companies like Rolls Royce Engineering, IAG, construction and travel associated companies shot up. At the same time beneficiaries of the pandemic like Ocado, Just Eat and Zoom fell. If you feel you can personally outperform the fund managers by picking individual stocks then the best of luck to you.
OS you are one of a few that are able to respond to and accept what is posted to you or at you, yes I was being pedantic, sharpens the edge! AND you respond in a positive way, often possibly? giving a few crumbs or ideas that may not know, some of the tricks of life. I wonder how many have actually taken on board the different ways to approach the same problem /cause. I sold Pensions/insurance and finance for 4 years up to the gulf war had all the exams etc. my favourite portfolio I sold was 40% equity 40% cash and 20% risk [ 3 separate managed funds all annually adjustable ] back pre gulf averaged about 9% - 16% in past / previous 10 years. My pension(s) in managed funds 60% 30% 10% ... last 5 years of ............ went 95% blue chip equity and 5% risk. for some reason banks have gained [ got 3 ] but annoyingly have stopped dividends on .gov orders/request! cost me over a grand! Glad I took a few losses at start of covid on shares as they dropped and converted to Gold and silver ... tempting now to cash in on gold [ not at your high street pawn type shops though ! ] and snap up shares that are less than half back up [ my own portfolio ones ] but may hold....
JGF - I've got no problems with you nor anyone else currently on this board for that matter. I join in when I see something appropriate like Rob's and your comments about shares rising etc on this thread. The forums are just for chat, info and enjoyment - so what if it gets a bit contentious on times. It should be no place for thin skins but then there's no need for personal abuse either. Mind you, at one time there was a graffitti artist appreciator on here who was determined to spoil the chat, but he doesn't seem to post anymore. Now we can just converse and argue in a civilised fashion in the full knowledge that no one is always right..............except me.
There are many on here that miss him and would welcome Banksy back in a heartbeat and I am one of them but we move on as always with an open mind and welcome all people who have something positive to contribute in an acceptable way to the board.
Sparky I think the drawn out spat between you and Banksy was the end for him. I reckon Rod knows the truth.
