Latest articles by Merryn Somerset Webb
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Tech stock carnage: do you think Apple, Amazon and Alphabet will save you? Think again
Opinion As tech stocks continued to slide, there is a view that you can escape all the carnage by holding really high quality profitable stocks. That view is wrong, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
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Shareholder capitalism: why we must return power to listed companies’ ultimate owners
Analysis Under our system of shareholder capitalism it's not fund managers, it‘s the individual investors – the company's ultimate owners – who should be telling companies what kind of world we want, says Merryn Somerset Webb
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Inflation: now we really have something to worry about
Editor's letter We’ve been worrying about a sharp rise in inflation for years, says Merryn Somerset Webb – now, we finally have something to worry about.
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Made money in cryptocurrencies? Don’t forget to pay your taxes – in sterling
Analysis Speculating on cryptocurrencies is akin to gambling in all but one respect, says Merryn Somerset Webb: you must pay tax on any gains, and you must pay it in sterling.
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Ask for a pay rise – everyone else is
Opinion As inflation bites and the labour market remains tight, many of the nation's employees are asking for a pay rise. Merryn Somerset Webb explains why you should do that too.
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Energy prices will keep rising – here’s how to invest
Opinion Energy prices will keep rising for the foreseeable future – it is a simple matter of supply and demand. Merryn Somerset Webb explains how you should invest to take advantage.
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The long-awaited return of value stocks
Editor's letter For a few years we’ve been wondering when the gulf in valuation between “growth” stocks and “value” stocks will close. It might finally be happening, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
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How to invest as we move into a new era
Editor's letter As we move away from pandemic panic and into world of risk acceptance, higher energy prices and higher interest rates, your priority as an investor should be to protect the real value of your assets.
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The markets in 2022: why investors should tread very carefully
Opinion Despite everything, 2021 saw more extremely healthy returns for stockmarket investors. But 2022 is unlikely to be as profitable, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
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MoneyWeek’s Super Six: December 2021 update on our investment trust portfolio
Tips MoneyWeek’s favourite investment trusts have rocketed in the past ten years, says Merryn Somerset Webb. We will stick with them
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Predictions are pointless – but we do them anyway
Editor's letter We were right on much of what we predicted for this year, but wrong on much of it, too. The only thing we can say about the future is that it is unpredictable.
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Things are expensive, but we are not yet in a full “everything bubble”
Editor's letter When people are paying $650,000 for an imaginary yacht, you might think asset price inflation has got completely out of control. But there are still pockets of value left, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
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Five books to make you think this Christmas
Reviews Merryn Somerset Webb picks five books on the theme of ownership for you to read over the festive period.
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Change is coming – but your investment approach should stay the same
Editor's letter High inflation, extreme market volatility, populations at loggerheads. Things are changing fast, says Merryn Somerset Webb. But for investors, the usual rules apply: look for long-term resilience at a reasonable price
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Why the “capital cycle” is so important for investors to understand
Opinion Price is important when investing. But there’s something else to consider, says Merryn Somerset Webb – the capital cycle. Here’s what it is and why it’s so important.
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Forget socialism – shareholder capitalism is delivering
Editor's letter Many Millennials say they would prefer to live in a socialist society. That's understandable. But while socialism promises everyone ownership and power, it has never actually delivered. Shareholder capitalism, on the other hand, does deliver.
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Two outstandingly cheap UK stocks in an age of mad valuations
Opinion In these times of nutty company valuations, there is still plenty of opportunity around, says Merryn Somerset Webb. Take these two stocks, for example.
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Everyone wants more leisure time – but is that possible?
Editor's letter One of the effects of the pandemic is that everyone wants to work less – whether from home or in the office. But is that possible over the long term?
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The power of passive investing – for good and bad
Opinion The rise of passive funds has made investing simple and cheap for millions of people. But it comes with huge consequences for markets, the economy and your wealth, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
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Why the Bank of England must act now on inflation
Editor's letter The Bank of England must act fast on interest rates if it wants to convince us that it is even remotely serious about stopping inflation getting out of hand.
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Why now is the perfect time to visit Kenya for a safari holiday
Reviews African safaris are as wonderful as they’ve always been, except now you get them all to yourself. Book one now, says Merryn Somerset Webb
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Don’t worry about the global population explosion – it’s unlikely to happen
Opinion One of the many things we are taught to worry about is the fast-rising global population. But in fact, says Merryn Somerset Webb, the opposite is true. Here’s how to invest.
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ESG investing is important, but lots of other things matter too
Editor's letter Investors have been pouring money into "ESG" funds and shares, driving prices up and up. But less obvious areas of the market could prove more profitable, while still having your ESG cake and eating it.
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Inflation forecasts mean interest rates should be on the rise – so why aren’t they?
Opinion With inflation forecast to hit 5% next year, we might expect interest rates to be rising, says Merryn Somerset Webb. But central banks are holding off. Why?
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