Trading

Jack of all trades master of none or should you be a specialist?

Published

3 years ago

27/06/2018

Jack of all trades master of none or should you be a specialist?

One of the travesties of our society is that it cannot be put separately in the binary of General or specific.

Holding a specialization has always been up for humanity and its movement further. But the exponential change in time has normalized the generalization of knowledge and skill. Earlier with limited and completely non-related areas of work, it was quite demanding to excel in more than one skill. Later with the arrival of technology and innovation of ideas, society has warmly welcomed several derivatives of one job or interest. Nowadays one can easily use their skill of music to write a book about it, making them a musician as well a writer.

The question surfacing the argument is whether a person should be a specialist of one skill or is it a good thing to juggle between different tasks? In a plate decorated with fruits we need specialists for each fruit to analyze them for us but simultaneously we need a person who is comfortable with every fruit so that all the can be placed there in the first place.

Choosing between generalization and specialization should be up to the individual according to their personality type. Some people are too focused and need a clear path in their head while others are too restless to stop at one single point. To impose specialization on the latter type would be unfair to the individual as well as to society’s growth. Although being involved in many things at the same time does not give any excuse to leave any task unfinished. Jumping onto another task without justifying the first one is a personality flaw without any valid reasoning.

One of the travesties of our society is that it cannot be put separately in the binary of General or specific.

Many people are disgusted by the idea of sticking to a single skill. They feel trapped and stagnant. But every path leads to the destination of evolution. There is always room for development depending upon how much work a person is willing to do upon themselves. With rapid phase of development, a dimension of each skill is changing day by day. It is expected by the candidates to keep up with the changes even though they are specialists.

Being Jack of all trades has its negative aspects too. Many people involved in several tasks suffer from the fear of commitment. This choice certainly blooms freedom and flexibility but it also requires commitment and self-discipline from individual’s side. To serve our society only bright beads of specialists will be ineffective unless they are tied with the thread of generalists. The society needs a blend of both, one to see the bigger picture and other to colour that picture with specific colours.

Famous personalities like Da Vinci, Sigmund Freud were efficient and had a flair for more than one genre. Da Vinci was a successful painter and innovator while Freud was a psychologist, philosopher, literature enthusiast, writer and a keen observer. Humans have various dimensions to their personality; to work upon solely one trait should be their choice, not society’s demand.

Trading

Energy stocks drag down FTSE 100, IG Group slides

Published

3 days ago

22/01/2021

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Energy stocks drag down FTSE 100, IG Group slides 1

By Shivani Kumaresan

(Reuters) – London’s FTSE 100 slipped on Thursday, weighed down by falls in energy stocks as oil prices slid after a surprise increase in U.S. crude inventories, while IG Group tumbled on plans to buy U.S. trading platform tastytrade for $1 billion.

The blue-chip FTSE 100 index lost 0.4%, while the domestically focussed mid-cap FTSE 250 index also slid 0.4%.

Energy majors BP and Royal Dutch Shell fell 3.2% and 2.5%, respectively, and were the biggest drags on the FTSE-100 index. [O/R]

“What is holding back the UK is a lack of tech stocks to capture the ‘rotation’ back into tech seen since Netflix results,” said Chris Beauchamp, chief market analyst at IG.

“Stock markets overall are much quieter today, looking so far in vain for a new catalyst for further upside.”

The FTSE 100 shed 14.3% in value last year, its worst performance since a 31% plunge in 2008 and underperforming its European peers by a wide margin, as pandemic-driven lockdowns battered the economy and led to mass layoffs.

British Prime Minister Boris Johnson said it was too early to say when the national coronavirus lockdown in England would end, as daily deaths from COVID-19 reach new highs and hospitals become increasingly stretched.

IG Group tumbled 8.5% after announcing plans to buy tastytrade, venturing into North America after a stellar year for the new breed of retail investment brokerages.

Ibstock jumped 7.3% to the top of the FTSE 250 after the company said fourth-quarter activity benefited from better-than-expected demand for new houses and repairs.

Pets at Home Group Plc rose 2.2% after reporting an 18% jump in third-quarter revenue, boosted by higher demand for its accessories and veterinary services as more people adopted pets during lockdowns.

(Reporting by Shivani Kumaresan in Bengaluru; editing by Uttaresh.V and Mark Potter)

Trading

Wall Street bounce, upbeat earnings lift European stocks

Published

4 days ago

21/01/2021

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Wall Street bounce, upbeat earnings lift European stocks 2

By Amal S and Sruthi Shankar

(Reuters) – European stocks rose on Wednesday after Dutch chip equipment maker ASML and Swiss luxury group Richemont gave encouraging earnings updates, while investors hoped for a large U.S. stimulus plan as Joe Biden was sworn in as president.

The pan-European STOXX 600 index closed 0.7% higher, getting an extra boost as Wall Street marked record highs.

All eyes were on Biden’s inauguration as the 46th U.S. President, with traders betting on a bigger pandemic relief plan and higher infrastructure spending under the new administration to boost the pandemic-stricken economy.

Tech stocks rallied to a two-decade peak in Europe after ASML Holding NV rose 3.0% to all-time highs on better-than-expected quarterly sales and a strong order intake for 2021.

Meanwhile, Richemont rose 2.8%, after posting a 5% increase in quarterly sales as Chinese splashed out on Cartier, its flagship jewellery brand.

Britain’s Burberry jumped 3.9% after it stuck to its full-year goals, saying higher full-price sales would boost annual margins, while Asian demand remained strong.

The pair boosted European luxury goods makers that are heavily reliant on China, with LVMH and Kering gaining between 1% and 3%.

“Any sign that retail spending is picking up in China is going to be a boost to the Western markets and those heavily exposed to it,” said Connor Campbell, financial analyst at SpreadEx.

The European Central Bank is set to meet on Thursday. While no policy changes are expected, the bank could face more questions about an increasingly challenging outlook only a month after it unleashed fresh stimulus to bolster the euro zone economy.

“With the new round of easing measures fully in place and no new forecasts to be presented tomorrow, it should be a fairly uneventful day for the euro,” ING analysts said in a note.

Italy’s FTSE MIB gained 0.9% and lenders rose 1.6% after Prime Minister Giuseppe Conte won a confidence vote in the upper house Senate and averted a government collapse.

Conte narrowly secured the vote on Tuesday, allowing him to remain in office after a junior partner quit his coalition last week in the midst of the COVID-19 pandemic.

Daimler AG jumped 4.2% after its Mercedes-Benz brand unveiled a new electric compact SUV, the EQA, as part of plans to take on rival Tesla Inc.

Germany’s Hugo Boss added 4.4% after Mike Ashley-led Frasers said it boosted its stake in the company.

(Reporting by Sruthi Shankar and Amal S in Bengaluru; Editing by Shailesh Kuber and Arun Koyyur and Kirsten Donovan)

Trading

Miners lead FTSE 100 higher on earnings cheer

Published

4 days ago

21/01/2021

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Miners lead FTSE 100 higher on earnings cheer 3

By Shivani Kumaresan

(Reuters) – UK’s FTSE 100 rose on Wednesday as miners gained after a strong production forecast from BHP Group, while encouraging updates from luxury brand Burberry and education group Pearson drove optimism about the earnings season.

BHP Group Ltd climbed 2.8% after it forecast record iron ore production for fiscal 2021, helped by high prices for the commodity. Other miners Rio Tinto, Anglo American and Glencore rose more than 2%.

Global markets rallied in anticipation of more fiscal spending as Joe Biden prepared to take charge as the 46th U.S. president.

“There is a view in the markets that more spending is in the pipeline, after all, Mr Biden will want to start his presidency on a positive note,” said David Madden, market analyst at CMC Markets UK.

The FTSE 100 index rose 0.4% and the domestically focussed FTSE 250 index added 1.4%.

The FTSE 100 has recorded consistent monthly gains since November after the sealing of a Brexit trade deal and hopes of a vaccine-led economic recovery, but has recently lost steam as tighter business restrictions sparked fears of a slow rebound.

Burberry rose 3.9% as it stuck to its full-year goals and said higher full-price sales would boost annual margins and Asian demand remained strong.

Global education group Pearson jumped 8.6% after its global online sales grew 18% in 2020, helped by strong enrolments in virtual schools.

WH Smith Plc surged 10.4% to the top of the FTSE 250 index as its trading during Christmas was ahead of its expectations.

(Reporting by Shivani Kumaresan in Bengaluru; editing by Uttaresh.V, William Maclean)

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