Merryn Somerset Webb
Merryn Somerset Webb started her career in Tokyo at public broadcaster NHK before becoming a Japanese equity broker at what was then Warburgs. She went on to work at SBC and UBS without moving from her desk in Kamiyacho (it was the age of mergers).
After five years in Japan she returned to work in the UK at Paribas. This soon became BNP Paribas. Again, no desk move was required. On leaving the City, Merryn helped The Week magazine with its City pages before becoming the launch editor of MoneyWeek in 2000 and taking on columns first in the Sunday Times and then in 2009 in the Financial Times
Twenty years on, MoneyWeek is the best-selling financial magazine in the UK. Merryn was its Editor in Chief until 2022. She is now a senior columnist at Bloomberg and host of the Merryn Talks Money podcast - but still writes for Moneyweek monthly.
Merryn is also is a non executive director of two investment trusts – BlackRock Throgmorton, and the Murray Income Investment Trust.
Latest articles by Merryn Somerset Webb
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If a company is cheap enough for private equity, why isn’t it cheap enough for everyone else?
Opinion If a private equity firm thinks a company like Wm Morrison is undervalued, why isn’t it in everyone’s portfolio? Merryn Somerset Webb mulls the mysteries of stock valuations.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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It’s time to worry about inflation
Interviews The Bank of England’s outgoing chief economist, Andy Haldane, tells Merryn Somerset Webb why rising prices may prove more durable than everyone expects – and what he thinks of bitcoin and UK stocks
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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Is it time to go back to the office?
Editor's letter There's a lot to be said for working from home, but the office has plenty going for it too. And it might not be too long before we're all back, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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Private equity isn’t evil, it’s just doing what traditional investors should be doing
Opinion Many people are decrying private equity companies snapping up UK companies on the cheap. But If fund managers did their jobs properly, there would be nothing for them to buy.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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Beware: the government could come for your pension assets
Editor's letter The government desperately needs to find a pile of cash to pay for its massive debt. And there's a very attractive-looking one sitting in your pension pot.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Last updated
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Inflation: should you worry a lot or a little?
Opinion At 2.1%, inflation doesn’t seem particularly high. But don’t dismiss those numbers, says Merryn Somerset Webb. It’s time to start getting worried.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Last updated
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Why fund managers should share the risk with their investors
Editor's letter Ideally, managers would have a stake in their funds. It might not necessarily lead to better performance, but it would surely make them pay a little more attention.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Last updated
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Climate activists are missing the point on big oil companies
Opinion Forcing big oil companies like Shell to dump their oil and gas assets isn’t the positive step many people think it is, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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You probably are saving enough for your retirement, but you might want to change how you do it
Opinion Asset managers claim we aren’t saving enough for our retirements. We probably are, says Merryn Somerset Webb. But it might be an idea to change how we invest.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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The simple answer to Britain's staff shortages: raise wages
Editor's letter The UK's businesses are suffering from a shortage of staff. If they want to fix that, they'll have to do the one thing they really hate: raise wages
By Merryn Somerset Webb Last updated
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How St Ives became St Tropez as the recovery drives prices sky high
Opinion Merryn Somerset Webb finds herself at the epicentre of Britain’s V-shaped recovery as pent-up demand flows straight into Cornwall’s restaurants and beaches.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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The real problem of Universal Basic Income (UBI)
Merryn's Blog April employment numbers showed 75 per cent fewer people in the US returned to employment compared to expectations. Merryn Somerset-Webb explains how excessive government support is causing a shortage of labour.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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Can bitcoin survive governments’ monopoly on coercion?
Editor's letter If governments want your cryptocurrency they will come for it, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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Why an ageing population is not necessarily the disaster many people think it is
Opinion We’ve got used to the idea that an ageing population is a bad thing. But that’s not necessarily true, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
Opinion -
UK stocks are cheap, but they won't be for long
Editor's letter UK stocks are cheap. That's not escaped the notice of the private equity sector, who are snapping up bargains galore. You should do the same while you still can, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Last updated
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Forget bitcoins, turn to real coins as an inflation hedge
Opinion As the recent bout of craziness in the cryptocurrency markets shows, bitcoin isn’t much of a hedge against anything. So as the price of all physical things starts to climb, a better bet might be real, collectable coins instead, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Last updated
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Why investors should start to think more short-term
Editor's letter For years, investors have poured money into growth stocks that promise future profits but no actual cash now. But as inflation threatens, now might be the time to shorten our investment horizons, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Last updated
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Why ESG investing is becoming the norm
Opinion A lot of investors say they want to put their money into “ESG” funds. But unless you actively opt for a “sin” fund jammed full of companies behaving badly, that’s probably what you’re getting anyway, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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The house price boom is all about what people can afford to pay
Editor's letter Houses may look very expensive, but ultra-low interest rates mean that on a monthly payment basis, they cost an awful lot less than they used to. How long can that last?
By Merryn Somerset Webb Last updated
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The V-shaped recovery looks to be here at last
Editor's letter The world is certainly not a Panglossian paradise. But the recovery is under way and there is plenty of good news about.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Last updated
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The giant investment platforms and the risk to shareholder capitalism
Editor's letter The fact that so many of us invest via the big investment platforms means that there is a huge dislocation between the owner of the shares (us) and the people who have the votes that come with the shares (the platforms).
By Merryn Somerset Webb Last updated
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Bitcoin mania: private currencies are nothing new
Editor's letter The idea is gaining ground that bitcoin and the plethora of other new currencies are here to stay. But the existence of private currencies operating parallel to official ones is nothing new, says Merryn Somerset Webb.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
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Deliveroo’s IPO flop shows which way the market is going
Opinion Deliveroo’s disastrous IPO is a good example of how investors are looking away from loss-making growth stocks and more towards companies that will provide people with the things they crave as they emerge from lockdown.
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
Opinion -
Young investors could bet on NFTs over traditional investments
Opinion The first batch of child trust funds and Junior Isas are maturing. But young investors could be tempted to bet their proceeds on digital baubles such as NFTs rather than rolling their money over into traditional investments
By Merryn Somerset Webb Published
Opinion