Investing is a long-term game, but it pays to take advantage of short-term opportunities. Buying assets when they are out of favour and trading at low prices can really pay off, assuming they bounce back later.
So can spotting an opportunity before other investors do and jumping in before it takes off. Inevitably, both are risky. It is never easy to get your timing right.
We asked analysts to name three exciting ways to invest $10,000 over the next three months. The first was supposed to have crashed this year but is proving resilient, the second plummeted last year, costing investors trillions of dollars, but now looks a brighter prospect, while the final one could go either way.
Just remember that your aim should be to generate profits over years, rather than making a quick gain over a few months.
The US S&P 500
At the start of the year, investors were bearish on the US. They reckoned the S&P 500 index had done too well for too long. It is packed full of big-name technology stocks such as Apple, Amazon, Facebook, Tesla and Microsoft but that strength was suddenly looking like a weakness.
Technology valuations had become overstretched and resurgent inflation looked set to eat into the value of their future revenues.
The S&P 500 crashed by about 500 points at the start of this year to 4,326 on January 27, a drop of 10 per cent that sent it into correction territory.
It fell a further 150 points as Russia's invasion of Ukraine spooked investors then, suddenly, the story changed, says David Jones, chief market strategist at Capital.com.
The Nasdaq 100 is now 8 per cent higher than the day Russia invaded Ukraine and Tesla is a remarkable 65 per cent higher
Paul Allison,
head of equity research at Freetrade
Markets hate uncertainty but after such a poor start to the year, the war now looks to be priced into global indexes.
“If markets have discounted the current geopolitical situation, we may see a further recovery over the next three months,” Mr Jones says.
This is a common stock market reaction when war strikes. After the initial short-term response, things settle down as investors focus on the long term again.
The S&P 500 has rebounded to about 4,500. Mr Jones says investors should prepare for further volatility and believes there is investor support for the S&P 500 at these levels.
“It tried to break lower in late February and March but buyers stepped in.”
Research from Freetrade suggests that US technology stocks remain in favour among private investors despite higher volatility, with Tesla the most bought stock among its customers in March, followed by Apple, Facebook-revamp Meta and Amazon.
Big Tech remains the go-to sector for retail investors and this has paid off, says Freetrade’s head of equity research Paul Allison.
“The Nasdaq 100 is now 8 per cent higher than the day Russia invaded Ukraine and Tesla is a remarkable 65 per cent higher,” he says.
Sticking with US technology companies makes sense for a couple of reasons.
“Firstly, their sales and profits are unlikely to be directly affected by the Ukraine conflict. Second, most have solid balance sheets with little to no debt, making them defensive as inflation rises.
“These companies outperformed during the recent correction and are leading the recovery,” Mr Allison says.
Optimistic investors should consider buying a low-cost exchange-traded fund (ETF) that tracks the S&P 500, such as the SPDR S&P 500 ETF, Mr Jones suggests.
“This could be an interesting investment to take advantage of any further recovery in stock markets,” he says.
The S&P still looks expensive, trading around 36 times earnings, but war in Europe makes the US appear as a safe haven right now.
“Just don’t expect a calm, smooth ride,” Mr Jones says.
The iShares Core S&P 500 ETF and Vanguard S&P 500 ETF are alternative options for tracking the index.
Chinese tech looks like a bargain right now, but will remain volatile
Vijay Valecha,
chief investment officer at Century Financial
Chinese tech stocks
Chinese technology stocks such as Tencent and Alibaba were popular among western investors but took a beating last year after President Xi Jinping clamped down on the country’s technology billionaires.
Global losses ran into the trillions of dollars, with Tencent’s market capitalisation falling by a staggering $500 billion.
The “tech-lash” eased in March after Vice Premier Liu He called on regulators to adopt a “standardised, transparent and predictable” approach towards overseeing the nation’s big internet services companies.
Now could be a good time to jump back into China technology, says Vijay Valecha, chief investment officer at Century Financial in Dubai.
“Beijing is actively attempting to change course by pledging policies to boost financial markets and stimulate economic growth in a co-ordinated move to boost China tech stocks following the sell-off.”
China has indicated it could hand US regulators full access to auditing reports for about 200 companies listed on the New York Stock Exchange, Mr Valecha says, which would allow Chinese businesses to remain listed in the US.
Mr Valecha cites another reason to be bullish on Chinese technology stocks. While the US Federal Reserve is tightening monetary policy by tapering bond purchases and increasing interest rates, China is cutting lending rates.
“The tech sector is bound to benefit from the cheaper borrowing costs,” he says.
Finally, Chinese stocks look affordable, trading about 11 times earnings, making now a good time to buy them.
“Chinese tech looks like a bargain right now, but will remain volatile,” Mr Valecha says.
To take advantage, Mr Valecha suggests the Krane Shares CSI China Internet ETF, which tracks the CSI Overseas China Internet Index.
“This index is a play on consumption since it gives investors exposure to the country's growing middle class,” he says.
Its top holdings include top Chinese tech names including Alibaba, Tencent, JD.com, Baidu, Meituan and Kuaishou.
“It is an attractive option for investors seeking a turnaround play right now,” Mr Valecha says.
The HSBC Hang Seng Tech UCITS ETF, iShares MSCI China Tech UCITS ETF and Invesco MSCI China Technology All Shares Stock ETF are also worth considering.
Agriculture
The agriculture sector is our final opportunity.
War in Ukraine is threatening global food security, which is already under pressure from climate change and the lingering effects of the coronavirus pandemic, says Josef Licsauer, fund analyst at financial services company Hargreaves Lansdown.
“Its products are in everything we own — from the food we eat to the fabric in our clothes,” he says.
Ukraine and Russia are agricultural powerhouses, he says, responsible for more than a quarter of global wheat exports, 80 per cent of sunflower seed exports and 40 per cent of barley.
Wheat prices have hit nine-year highs and other commodities such as maize, corn, soybeans and palm oil have all surged in value.
“Adverse weather in South America and labour shortages in parts of Asia are also limiting supplies,” he says.
Mr Licsauer highlights two actively managed funds, Sarasin Food and Agriculture Opportunities and Pictet Nutrition.
“They invest mainly in the US, Europe and the UK, but also emerging markets, which increases risk,” he says.
Agriculture prices have soared but the risk is that the supply crunch is already priced in, Laith Khalaf, head of investment analysis at AJ Bell, says.
One way to invest is via an exchange-traded commodity (ETC), which use futures contracts to invest in commodities such as metals, energy, livestock and food.
“It is difficult to store a bushel of wheat in a trading account, so ETCs use futures contracts to gain exposure, but that does make these funds more complex and more costly,” Mr Bell says.
He tips the broad-based L&G All Commodities ETC, which is about 40 per cent agriculture and livestock, with the remainder in energy and metals.
Other top agriculture ETFs include the broad Invesco DB Agriculture Fund, which is up 12 per cent this year, and the specialist Teucrium Wheat Fund, up 40 per cent.
However, it is a volatile sector right now and if the Ukraine war eases, prices could fall.
PROFILE OF SWVL
Started: April 2017
Founders: Mostafa Kandil, Ahmed Sabbah and Mahmoud Nouh
Based: Cairo, Egypt
Sector: transport
Size: 450 employees
Investment: approximately $80 million
Investors include: Dubai’s Beco Capital, US’s Endeavor Catalyst, China’s MSA, Egypt’s Sawari Ventures, Sweden’s Vostok New Ventures, Property Finder CEO Michael Lahyani
More on animal trafficking
Kanye%20West
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How%20to%20avoid%20getting%20scammed
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Terror attacks in Paris, November 13, 2015
- At 9.16pm, three suicide attackers killed one person outside the Atade de France during a foootball match between France and Germany
- At 9.25pm, three attackers opened fire on restaurants and cafes over 20 minutes, killing 39 people
- Shortly after 9.40pm, three other attackers launched a three-hour raid on the Bataclan, in which 1,500 people had gathered to watch a rock concert. In total, 90 people were killed
- Salah Abdeslam, the only survivor of the terrorists, did not directly participate in the attacks, thought to be due to a technical glitch in his suicide vest
- He fled to Belgium and was involved in attacks on Brussels in March 2016. He is serving a life sentence in France
Wicked
Director: Jon M Chu
Stars: Cynthia Erivo, Ariana Grande, Jonathan Bailey
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Zimbabwe v UAE, ODI series
All matches at the Harare Sports Club:
1st ODI, Wednesday, April 10
2nd ODI, Friday, April 12
3rd ODI, Sunday, April 14
4th ODI, Tuesday, April 16
UAE squad: Mohammed Naveed (captain), Rohan Mustafa, Ashfaq Ahmed, Shaiman Anwar, Mohammed Usman, CP Rizwan, Chirag Suri, Mohammed Boota, Ghulam Shabber, Sultan Ahmed, Imran Haider, Amir Hayat, Zahoor Khan, Qadeer Ahmed
SERIES SCHEDULE
First Test, Galle International Stadium
July 26-30
Second Test, Sinhalese Sports Club Ground
August 3-7
Third Test, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 12-16
First ODI, Rangiri Dambulla International Stadium
August 20
Second ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 24
Third ODI, Pallekele International Cricket Stadium
August 27
Fourth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
August 31
Fifth ODI, R Premadasa Stadium
September 3
T20, R Premadasa Stadium
September 6
SPEC SHEET
Display: 10.9" Liquid Retina IPS, 2360 x 1640, 264ppi, wide colour, True Tone, Apple Pencil support
Chip: Apple M1, 8-core CPU, 8-core GPU, 16-core Neural Engine
Memory: 64/256GB storage; 8GB RAM
Main camera: 12MP wide, f/1.8, Smart HDR
Video: 4K @ 25/25/30/60fps, full HD @ 25/30/60fps, slo-mo @ 120/240fps
Front camera: 12MP ultra-wide, f/2.4, Smart HDR, Centre Stage; full HD @ 25/30/60fps
Audio: Stereo speakers
Biometrics: Touch ID
I/O: USB-C, smart connector (for folio/keyboard)
Battery: Up to 10 hours on Wi-Fi; up to 9 hours on cellular
Finish: Space grey, starlight, pink, purple, blue
Price: Wi-Fi – Dh2,499 (64GB) / Dh3,099 (256GB); cellular – Dh3,099 (64GB) / Dh3,699 (256GB)
Specs
Engine: Duel electric motors
Power: 659hp
Torque: 1075Nm
On sale: Available for pre-order now
Price: On request
U19 World Cup in South Africa
Group A: India, Japan, New Zealand, Sri Lanka
Group B: Australia, England, Nigeria, West Indies
Group C: Bangladesh, Pakistan, Scotland, Zimbabwe
Group D: Afghanistan, Canada, South Africa, UAE
UAE fixtures
Saturday, January 18, v Canada
Wednesday, January 22, v Afghanistan
Saturday, January 25, v South Africa
UAE squad
Aryan Lakra (captain), Vriitya Aravind, Deshan Chethyia, Mohammed Farazuddin, Jonathan Figy, Osama Hassan, Karthik Meiyappan, Rishabh Mukherjee, Ali Naseer, Wasi Shah, Alishan Sharafu, Sanchit Sharma, Kai Smith, Akasha Tahir, Ansh Tandon
SPECS
Nissan 370z Nismo
Engine: 3.7-litre V6
Transmission: seven-speed automatic
Power: 363hp
Torque: 560Nm
Price: Dh184,500
EA Sports FC 26
Publisher: EA Sports
Consoles: PC, PlayStation 4/5, Xbox Series X/S
Rating: 3/5
More from Neighbourhood Watch
The biog
Most memorable achievement: Leading my first city-wide charity campaign in Toronto holds a special place in my heart. It was for Amnesty International’s Stop Violence Against Women program and showed me the power of how communities can come together in the smallest ways to have such wide impact.
Favourite film: Childhood favourite would be Disney’s Jungle Book and classic favourite Gone With The Wind.
Favourite book: To Kill A Mockingbird for a timeless story on justice and courage and Harry Potters for my love of all things magical.
Favourite quote: “We make a living by what we get, but we make a life by what we give.” — Winston Churchill
Favourite food: Dim sum
Favourite place to travel to: Anywhere with natural beauty, wildlife and awe-inspiring sunsets.
INDIA V SOUTH AFRICA
First Test: October 2-6, at Visakhapatnam
Second Test: October 10-14, at Maharashtra
Third Test: October 19-23, at Ranchi
Titanium Escrow profile
Started: December 2016
Founder: Ibrahim Kamalmaz
Based: UAE
Sector: Finance / legal
Size: 3 employees, pre-revenue
Stage: Early stage
Investors: Founder's friends and Family
The biog
Profession: Senior sports presenter and producer
Marital status: Single
Favourite book: Al Nabi by Jibran Khalil Jibran
Favourite food: Italian and Lebanese food
Favourite football player: Cristiano Ronaldo
Languages: Arabic, French, English, Portuguese and some Spanish
Website: www.liliane-tannoury.com
BEETLEJUICE BEETLEJUICE
Starring: Winona Ryder, Michael Keaton, Jenny Ortega
Director: Tim Burton
Rating: 3/5
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Rain Management
Year started: 2017
Based: Bahrain
Employees: 100-120
Amount raised: $2.5m from BitMex Ventures and Blockwater. Another $6m raised from MEVP, Coinbase, Vision Ventures, CMT, Jimco and DIFC Fintech Fund
Company%20profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Homie%20Portal%20LLC%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EStarted%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20End%20of%202021%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounder%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EAbdulla%20Al%20Kamda%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Dubai%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20FinTech%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInitial%20investment%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Undisclosed%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3ECurrent%20number%20of%20staff%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2014%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestment%20stage%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ELaunch%C2%A0%3C%2Fp%3E%0A%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Self-funded%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
COMPANY PROFILE
Name: Akeed
Based: Muscat
Launch year: 2018
Number of employees: 40
Sector: Online food delivery
Funding: Raised $3.2m since inception
The specs: 2018 Audi RS5
Price, base: Dh359,200
Engine: 2.9L twin-turbo V6
Transmission: Eight-speed automatic
Power: 450hp at 5,700rpm
Torque: 600Nm at 1,900rpm
Fuel economy, combined: 8.7L / 100km
A State of Passion
Directors: Carol Mansour and Muna Khalidi
Stars: Dr Ghassan Abu-Sittah
Rating: 4/5
Company%20Profile
%3Cp%3E%3Cstrong%3EName%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ENadeera%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EBased%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20Abu%20Dhabi%2C%20UAE%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EFounders%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ERabih%20El%20Chaar%20and%20Reem%20Khattar%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ESector%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3ECleanTech%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ETotal%20funding%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%20About%20%241%20million%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3EInvestors%3A%20%3C%2Fstrong%3EHope%20Ventures%2C%20Rasameel%20Investments%20and%20support%20from%20accelerator%20programmes%20%3Cbr%3E%3Cstrong%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%3C%2Fstrong%3E%2012%3C%2Fp%3E%0A
The specs
Engine: 3.5-litre V6
Power: 272hp at 6,400rpm
Torque: 331Nm from 5,000rpm
Transmission: 8-speed auto
Fuel consumption: 9.7L/100km
On sale: now
Price: Dh149,000
THE SPECS
Engine: 3.6-litre V6
Transmission: nine-speed automatic
Power: 310hp
Torque: 366Nm
Price: Dh200,000
BOSH!'s pantry essentials
Nutritional yeast
This is Firth's pick and an ingredient he says, "gives you an instant cheesy flavour". He advises making your own cream cheese with it or simply using it to whip up a mac and cheese or wholesome lasagne. It's available in organic and specialist grocery stores across the UAE.
Seeds
"We've got a big jar of mixed seeds in our kitchen," Theasby explains. "That's what you use to make a bolognese or pie or salad: just grab a handful of seeds and sprinkle them over the top. It's a really good way to make sure you're getting your omegas."
Umami flavours
"I could say soya sauce, but I'll say all umami-makers and have them in the same batch," says Firth. He suggests having items such as Marmite, balsamic vinegar and other general, dark, umami-tasting products in your cupboard "to make your bolognese a little bit more 'umptious'".
Onions and garlic
"If you've got them, you can cook basically anything from that base," says Theasby. "These ingredients are so prevalent in every world cuisine and if you've got them in your cupboard, then you know you've got the foundation of a really nice meal."
Your grain of choice
Whether rice, quinoa, pasta or buckwheat, Firth advises always having a stock of your favourite grains in the cupboard. "That you, you have an instant meal and all you have to do is just chuck a bit of veg in."
PROVISIONAL FIXTURE LIST
Premier League
Wednesday, June 17 (Kick-offs uae times) Aston Villa v Sheffield United 9pm; Manchester City v Arsenal 11pm
Friday, June 19 Norwich v Southampton 9pm; Tottenham v Manchester United 11pm
Saturday, June 20 Watford v Leicester 3.30pm; Brighton v Arsenal 6pm; West Ham v Wolves 8.30pm; Bournemouth v Crystal Palace 10.45pm
Sunday, June 21 Newcastle v Sheffield United 2pm; Aston Villa v Chelsea 7.30pm; Everton v Liverpool 10pm
Monday, June 22 Manchester City v Burnley 11pm (Sky)
Tuesday, June 23 Southampton v Arsenal 9pm; Tottenham v West Ham 11.15pm
Wednesday, June 24 Manchester United v Sheffield United 9pm; Newcastle v Aston Villa 9pm; Norwich v Everton 9pm; Liverpool v Crystal Palace 11.15pm
Thursday, June 25 Burnley v Watford 9pm; Leicester v Brighton 9pm; Chelsea v Manchester City 11.15pm; Wolves v Bournemouth 11.15pm
Sunday June 28 Aston Villa vs Wolves 3pm; Watford vs Southampton 7.30pm
Monday June 29 Crystal Palace vs Burnley 11pm
Tuesday June 30 Brighton vs Manchester United 9pm; Sheffield United vs Tottenham 11.15pm
Wednesday July 1 Bournemouth vs Newcastle 9pm; Everton vs Leicester 9pm; West Ham vs Chelsea 11.15pm
Thursday July 2 Arsenal vs Norwich 9pm; Manchester City vs Liverpool 11.15pm
SHOW COURTS ORDER OF PLAY
Wimbledon order of play on Saturday, July 8
All times UAE ( 4 GMT)
Centre Court (4pm)
Agnieszka Radwanska (9) v Timea Bacsinszky (19)
Ernests Gulbis v Novak Djokovic (2)
Mischa Zverev (27) v Roger Federer (3)
Court 1 (4pm)
Milos Raonic (6) v Albert Ramos-Vinolas (25)
Anett Kontaveit v Caroline Wozniacki (5)
Dominic Thiem (8) v Jared Donaldson
Court 2 (2.30pm)
Sorana Cirstea v Garbine Muguruza (14)
To finish: Sam Querrey (24) leads Jo-Wilfried Tsonga (12) 6-2, 3-6, 7-6, 1-6, 6-5
Angelique Kerber (1) v Shelby Rogers
Sebastian Ofner v Alexander Zverev (10)
Court 3 (2.30pm)
Grigor Dimitrov (13) v Dudi Sela
Alison Riske v Coco Vandeweghe (24)
David Ferrer v Tomas Berdych (11)
Court 12 (2.30pm)
Polona Hercog v Svetlana Kuznetsova (7)
Gael Monfils (15) v Adrian Mannarino
Court 18 (2.30pm)
Magdalena Rybarikova v Lesia Tsurenko
Petra Martic v Zarina Diyas
Rooney's club record
At Everton Appearances: 77; Goals: 17
At Manchester United Appearances: 559; Goals: 253
UAE currency: the story behind the money in your pockets
Mina Cup winners
Under 12 – Minerva Academy
Under 14 – Unam Pumas
Under 16 – Fursan Hispania
Under 18 – Madenat
Groom and Two Brides
Director: Elie Semaan
Starring: Abdullah Boushehri, Laila Abdallah, Lulwa Almulla
Rating: 3/5
