At the end of last month the Books section of the Weekend FT carried a review by Andrew Hill, senior business writer at the FT, of two Harvard-linked writers pondering the viability of sensible risk-taking. These were not the more […]

At 6:30 pm One Moorgate Place was abuzz with at least two office Christmas parties. The STA one kicked off sedately with our usual Annual General Meeting where Chairman Eddie Tofpik outlined some of this year’s highlights. April’s Technicals to […]

Last week legendary investor Charlie Munger died at the ripe old age of 99. Born in Omaha like Warren Buffet, the two were key to the success of their firm Berkshire Hathaway. Unassuming men, they hold a special space in […]

Up until today I have made a point of not discussing, writing or opining on crypto and digital currencies. This is because, quite frankly, I don’t understand the subject. My slight shift in emphasis here was prompted by Madame Lagarde’s […]

In the mid-1980s I worked at a small London commodities trading house. Staff were an outgoing, noisy lot which included the now famous Nigel Farage. The head of financial derivatives invited Robert Prechter to give a technical analysis talk to […]

Many moons ago I remember the morning my colleague, Mariella Cassar, brought a book into the office at Midland Bank, City of London. She was clearly very excited about it and wanted to share – and discuss – some of […]

A word bandied around a lot of late, so I looked up its correct definition in my Collins Dictionary of the English Language (second edition 1986). The meaning is as follows: ‘1) a crucial stage or turning point in the […]

Off to One Moorgate Place, London, on the 10th October 2023 and an unusually balmy evening, for an in-person monthly meeting of the STA. The presentation by Thiru Nagappan was billed as: ‘Quantative Strategy Construction with 3 Critical Stats’. Opaque […]

Late last month the Commodity Trading Futures Commission, the US’ main derivatives regulator, decided not to allow exchange traded bets on American political parties. They said: ‘the contracts involve gaming and activity that is unlawful under state law and are […]

The first week of September 2023 was the hottest ever for this time of year in Britain. The following week, on the 14th, was the STA’s party at the lovely National Liberal Club on the Embankment; I was worried we […]

A virtual STA monthly meeting 12th September 2023 saw a presentation by Ashish Kyal who describes himself as: ‘Trader, Mentor and Founder of Wavesstrategy.com’. Based in Mumbai, it was nice to see that his many Indian followers had signed up […]

Last year, instigated by the Board of the STA with Chair Eddie Tofpik a keen proponent of the idea, the concept of a day in which to recognise the profession of technical analyst was registered with the authority overseeing these […]

Earlier this year I had lunch with a good friend; she brought along her eldest daughter. I’ve known the kid since she was about five years old; today she’s a poised, smart adult running a small London legal practice. Talking […]

As a kid, did you fear an elastic band? Today in Britain you are likely to see these scattered along residential streets, discarded by Royal Mail postmen (little kids sometimes collect them in a ball). In the school playground however, […]

I recently read a review of a musical theatre piece based on a book by Michael R. Jackson called ‘A Strange Loop’. Following on from a previous Barbican production starring Joana Seguro and Royal Society Fellow Marcus du Sautoy, the […]

Apologies for the sensational title, but this book was reviewed by Katie Martin in the Weekend FT ten days ago. While I skim through several online news services during the week, I physically go out and buy a hard copy […]

Exactly six months ago our trusty panel of speakers presented their outlook for key areas of financial markets for the calendar year 2023. They bravely decided to reconvene yesterday (11th July), the STA with a technical analysis-based view, The Broker […]

Andreas Clenow flew in from Zurich to give an in-person presentation at June’s regular STA monthly meeting. Billed in a lengthy promotional email as: ‘This presentation will demonstrate that there are flaws in point and figure which can be fixed. […]

A few years ago a friend gave me his old smartphone (ageing [him], he opted for a bigger screen that gave him a better chance of reading the text and hitting the correct letters). Having avoided this sort of device […]

My parents were great believers in education, probably spending more money than they could really afford on schools and courses for their children; not just academic things, but also art, music and sports. I realise I was very lucky and […]