Hey there! My name is Uneesa, and if I had to give myself a Forbes 2-page spread, the headline would read “I love God, women and money.”

Why? Well, other than loving God, women, and money. I want to help as many women as possible take financial control.

Join me as I’ll be holding your hand through the bold, new world of finance, and helping to demystify finance by asking 'WTF is this?'

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WTF HAPPENED to the stock market THIS WEEK? 🗞️💁🏻‍♀️

As Europe plunges further towards a recession, with UK economic growth falling by 0.3% in October and Germany officially being in a technical recession - the markets are signalling strong financial icks due to poor growth, poor productivity, war, poor trade and the list goes on…
The US market however managed to achieve 4.9% growth in Q3. The problem is, Americans are still feeling the pinch. Personally, I think we need to create a new model for measuring economic performance that puts people at the centre rather than arbitrary methods of measurements like the CPI but hey - that’s just me! To index has surged by 12% over the last 6 weeks alone.

Back to the US stock market - she’s flourishing! The S&P 500 has made gains for the 6th week in a row, with the S&P closing at its highest level this year last Friday.

Meanwhile, crypto winter continues to thaw as Bitcoin continues to perform. Dubal Financial Market (DFM)) and Abu Dhabi Securities Exchange (ADX) continue to go from strength to strength, with the success of many IPOs including Dubai Taxi and Purehealth.

All in all, it’s a great time to start learning + introducing investing in your life!

This week, the Fear vs Greed index is in good spirits as investors feel optimistic and confidence is driving stock prices up. The market remains pretty stable, as there is a strong pull towards “safe haven” investments like gold. However, institutional investors are still on the look out and investing in junk bonds. So while it’s an exciting time to invest, everyday investors should approach with a balanced strategy that seems to yield dividends in the long-term, with an understanding of risk levels.

So what are the updates?

Last week, I got to sit on a COP28 panel put together by Riba Free Foundation and sponsored by UNESCO and discuss all things gender inequality and financial literacy. It was so great to meet and engage with so many women on the day!

🧋FINANCIAL TEA🧋

ICYMI here’s this week’s highlights on the pressing issues of the day:

• The Guardian reports investors were able to make major returns from short-selling on the Israeli and US market ahead of the 7th October attack. This is def one I’ll be keeping my eye on.

• It’s a great time to be an ethnic aunty or a crypto bro, as both gold and bitcoin have hit new highs. Due to speculation surrounding the Fed’s rate cut and the bull run get back on its feet, both are respectively emerging as winning investment opportunities. Gold hit $2100/ounce Note: capital at risk

•  Reuters reports oversupply of oil could spark an economic slowdown with war and tension in the Middle East propelling price volatility.

• and finally, the FT reports it’s a race to AI for semiconductor manufacturing companies, as processing chips will take over the next gen phones. Great time to be an AI girlie if I do say so myself.

Interested in kicking off your financial journey?
Have I got the course(s) for you!!

I’m so excited to finally announce the launch of Invest in Yourself - a 4 week crash course in halal finance, plus a bonus Q&A session! Best of all you get to go at your own pace and follow along in your own time. Course costs start at £150, so if you’re looking to kick start your investment journey in the new year, look no further!

Finesse your Finances is back for another financial bootcamp! If you’re new to finance and looking to develop a deeper understanding of the issues that affect or may affect you - with practical tips shared, sign up here! Courses start at just £80 for a 5 week course.

N.B: Both courses are ideal for a UK audience. I will be launching courses specifically for the Gulf in 2024 iA. Watch this space.

FINANCE WORD OF THE WEEK

Fractional Investing - Fractional investing allows a person to own a fraction or a share, of an asset. This is pretty typical when building an investment portfolio and you’re unable to buy a whole share, or indeed investing with multiple people in real estate for example.