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The Intelligent Investor (July 2023)

AI & Investing

The generative chat program launched in 2022 seems to have drawn the most mainstream attention to AI applications since Arnold Schwarzenegger promised he’d be back. But the history of AI tools is far older than ChatGPT and from an investment standpoint, artificial intelligence pales in comparison to the informational content of the market’s AI—aggregate intelligence.

IHT Gifting Allowance Guide

There are various gifting exemptions available and, whilst not all are available or appropriate for everyone, it is worth reviewing our guide to ensure you are making use of those that are available.

The Stock Markets

(Updated 30 June)

The key benchmark you should care about is achieving all of your financial and life goals and not running out of money.

The Unimportant Numbers – 1 Month

Monthly figures are a distraction from your long-term goals, we’ll help you avoid the noise.

The Important Numbers – 30 Years

Investing in the Great Companies of the World has produced life-changing returns for the disciplined and patient investor.

Inflation – The Real Enemy (Updated 30 June)

The number one enemy of the long-term investor is the financial dragon called inflation (the silent but steady increase of prices over time).

The only sane definition of money is purchasing power, and over the last 30 years, inflation in the UK has almost halved the value of your money.

But an investment in the UK share market has consistently provided protection from this enemy.

Please note: we have changed this visual below to how the return of global equities (in £) vs UK inflation.

IN THE MEDIA

The media is not a friend of the disciplined and patient investor. Whether it’s on TV, Print or Online, the media prefers to focus on short-term returns, market predictions, and negative news. Which is not suitable for a long-term investor.

Below are the stories, podcasts, and images which we wanted to share with you this month, which are uplifting, interesting and informative.

These links below will take you to articles on other websites.

Positive News

Here is this month’s selection of positive news stories not related to investing.

Further Reading

Here are some articles you may find interesting this month.

Listen & Watch

  • What Makes You Happy
    The secret to true happiness is often found in unexpected places.
  • Warren Buffett’s Most Important Investing Philosophy
    Mr. Market is a fictional character Benjamin Graham used to describe the irrational and seemingly frantic moods of the stock market. Warren Bufett has cited Mr. Market as the best description of what to avoid in the stock market.

A Picture is worth 1000 Words

  • The Growth in House Prices by Country
    Global housing prices rose an average of 6% annually, between Q4 2021 and Q4 2022. In this graphic, we show the change in residential property prices with data from the Bank for International Settlements (BIS).
  • Visualizing Every Company on the S&P 500 Index
    As the S&P 500 enters a bull market after the longest downturn in decades, this graphic shows the entire makeup of one of the world’s largest markets.
  • The Cities with the Best Work-Life Balance in the World
    In this graphic, we use the Forbes Advisor 2023 ranking to highlight the top cities in the world that encourage work-life balance. The ranking compares data from 128 cities to form the Work-Life Balance Score, which is marked on a scale of 100.