Average Global Property Prices
Leading the pack with an average US$2091 per sq foot is Hong Kong. A long way behind are Singapore with $1063 and Paris with $985. London $776, Shanghai $714 and Shenzhen $726 follow with New York $526 and Los Angeles $466 at the rear of the leading pack. Remembering that these are average prices and given that Hong Kong is suffering from its biggest law and order crisis in a very long time, the questions of whether both the absolute level and the relationship with say Singapore can be maintained naturally arise. One London agent has been quoted as selling more than GBP 25 Million of Central London property to Hong Kong citizens looking to move to the UK in just the past few weeks. And on that subject, one London’s canniest property developers has called the bottom of the London residential property market this weekend on the basis that in a global context, it now represents good value.
Stressfulness in Order: Death, Marriage and Divorce
This time not in a corporate sense as the U.K. Office for National Statistics announces that the popularity of marriage has fallen by 50% from 1974 to 243,000 in 2018. As a consequence the divorce rate is at a low since 1971 at just 7.5 out of 1,000 marriages in 2018. By my calculation that makes 1822.5 divorces in 2018. That’s the thing about statisticians: they may have the advantage over the rest of us with numbers but they miss the bleeding obvious: half a divorce?!?!
The first US President to visit Ireland and when?
Surprisingly recent given the antecedents of so many US citizens-to be sure to be sure….
Definitely a good pub quiz answer to have handy. The answer?
The 42nd President of the USA William Jefferson Clinton on 1-12-95.
Dallas the TV series? Anyone remember?
Well it’s been a few years but it all came flooding back: the oil, the chicanery, the affairs, the skulduggery, the padded shoulders, JR, Sue Ellen, Miss Ellie, Pammie,Bobbie…any bells?
This weekend saw Lucy Ewing the pint sized sex bomb(not my description) played by Charlene Tilton turn 61. That means she was only 16 when she was cast in the 70’s TV blockbuster. Yes it was in colour, you cynics! Just….!
Discussion and Analysis by Humphrey Percy, Chairman and Founder

Just a SEK One of the biggest losers this week was the Swedish Krona. Before global inflation expectations went haywire following the waging of war in the middle east, Swedish monetary authorities had expected inflation to cool progressively into 2026. In fact, inflation had been forecast to drop below 1%. In comparison with the Riksbank’s […]
Missing haven At the start of the year, the Franc had performed well as a safehaven. As a result of political and economic developments in Japan, the Yen was not abiding by its usual safehaven form. Therefore, defensive plays within FX only had two credible places to go: the US Dollar or the Swiss Franc. […]
Battle of the banks Market volatility continues amidst unclear messaging from both sides of the conflict in Iran. The President’s position has continued to flit between seemingly concrete positions of absolutely tangible progress and bombing the nation back ‘to the Stone Ages’. Since the start of the war, smarter money has acknowledged that predicting the […]