In a way, Standard Chartered (STAN) sums up the problem with bank stocks. I say that because on paper it looks like a very good long-term proposition. The bank is largely an Asian and emerging market player for one, while it also generates the lion’s share of its income from…

The first quarter really seems to have flown by. It definitely doesn’t feel like three months have passed since the last Micro Portfolio update. Anyway, equities seemed to have posted a pretty good start to the year, with the FTSE All Share Total Return Index scraping out 3.9% in the…

Despite its issues, healthcare giant GlaxoSmithKline (GSK) remains one of the highest quality businesses on the London Stock Exchange. The Glaxo empire, which spans various patented drugs, vaccines and a consumer health segment that owns brands like Sensodyne toothpaste, has generated in excess of £16b worth of free cash flow…

So far, precisely one open-ended fund has featured on the site to day: Schroder Asian Income. An odd choice you may think, but the case for Asian, Chinese and even broader emerging market stocks just strikes me as quite strong right now. Granted, you can probably make a case for…

HSBC (HSBA) stock has rallied around 40% since it last appeared on the site back in September. At the time, shares of the global banking giant traded for just over 300p each. That quote represented an almost unprecedented slump that had taken the stock to a circa 25-year low. Of…