Wellbeing

January 2 to January 8

Bill Meridian looks at what the stars have in store for you this week.

Bill Meridian

January 02, 2010

The eclipse on January 15 closely opposes the national Sun of Afghanistan (July 17, 1973). The Sun in the horoscope of a country symbolises its basic power and its leadership. Eclipses opposite the Sun usually reduce prestige and power, so the leadership will be under pressure in the first part of 2010. For confirmation, we look to the horoscope of President Hamad Karzai (December 24, 1957). His Sun in Capricorn makes him serious and well-organised, but Saturn and Pluto are afflicting his Sun right now. He is very hard-pressed, trying to deal with insurgents, the US presence, and a poor economy. The need for further improvement in infrastructure is acute. The planets are most intense in the summer. This is the time when a change in Kabul is most likely. The second half of the year brings a reduction in tension.

ARIES (March 20-April 18) This is a busy week for Aries, with unexpected guests and appointments. But the flow of energy is uneven. You will have days when you are overextended. Time management is the key to success. TAURUS (April 19-May 19) Get ready for the entrance of Jupiter into Pisces when the wind will be blowing in your direction. More opportunities will arise, and it will be easier to get projects moving forward.

GEMINI (May 20-June 19) This week is a good time to clean out the unused and the unwanted - books, magazines, CDs and even old information on your computer. It is easier to find takers for unwanted items, or donate them to charity. CANCER (June 20-July 21) It seems that you're swimming against the tide. Calls, e-mails and visitors come at inconvenient times. This will pass in a couple of weeks. Your main task is to eliminate unnecessary items.

LEO (July 22-Aug 21) Mars remains very strong in your sign this week. It connects to Pluto, putting tempers on edge. This combination can bring a surge of energy, enabling you to tackle serious issues. VIRGO (Aug 22-Sept 21) Security is your main concern, ranging from retirement plans to insurance. The purity of your diet may also need to be examined. A balanced diet is one of the best guarantees of good health.

LIBRA (Sept 22-Oct 22) The Moon is in your sign on the 6th, 7th, and 8th. Your confidence is higher, and you have more energy than usual, so matters flow well. Use these days to get tasks done. Luck is on your side.   SCORPIO (Oct 23-Nov 20) If you have been searching for answers, this is the week of enlightenment. Your mental faculties are much clearer. You perceive useful information where you did not see it before.

SAGITTARIUS (Nov 21-Dec 22) One of the major concerns during this quiet week is productivity and teamwork. Whether it be in the office or at home, it is tough to get everyone involved. Pay attention to your diet. CAPRICORN (Dec 23-Jan 19) This is a very active week for you. Leave extra time because you are likely to have visitors and have to book extra appointments. The 4th and the 5th are the best days to schedule meetings.

AQUARIUS (Jan 20-Feb 18) Jupiter is near the end of its trek through your sign. It has acted as a planetary preservative, keeping you protected during tough times. In 2010, you will have to work harder to achieve results. PISCES (Feb 19-March 19) A focus for this week is security - financial or physical. You may notice some holes in your financial safety net. It is not going to be easy at this time. The physical side involves home or the office.

COMPANY%20PROFILE%20
%3Cp%3EName%3A%20DarDoc%3Cbr%3EBased%3A%20Abu%20Dhabi%3Cbr%3EFounders%3A%20Samer%20Masri%2C%20Keswin%20Suresh%3Cbr%3ESector%3A%20HealthTech%3Cbr%3ETotal%20funding%3A%20%24800%2C000%3Cbr%3EInvestors%3A%20Flat6Labs%2C%20angel%20investors%20%2B%20Incubated%20by%20Hub71%2C%20Abu%20Dhabi's%20Department%20of%20Health%3Cbr%3ENumber%20of%20employees%3A%2010%3C%2Fp%3E%0A

Mercer, the investment consulting arm of US services company Marsh & McLennan, expects its wealth division to at least double its assets under management (AUM) in the Middle East as wealth in the region continues to grow despite economic headwinds, a company official said.

Mercer Wealth, which globally has $160 billion in AUM, plans to boost its AUM in the region to $2-$3bn in the next 2-3 years from the present $1bn, said Yasir AbuShaban, a Dubai-based principal with Mercer Wealth.

“Within the next two to three years, we are looking at reaching $2 to $3 billion as a conservative estimate and we do see an opportunity to do so,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Mercer does not directly make investments, but allocates clients’ money they have discretion to, to professional asset managers. They also provide advice to clients.

“We have buying power. We can negotiate on their (client’s) behalf with asset managers to provide them lower fees than they otherwise would have to get on their own,” he added.

Mercer Wealth’s clients include sovereign wealth funds, family offices, and insurance companies among others.

From its office in Dubai, Mercer also looks after Africa, India and Turkey, where they also see opportunity for growth.

Wealth creation in Middle East and Africa (MEA) grew 8.5 per cent to $8.1 trillion last year from $7.5tn in 2015, higher than last year’s global average of 6 per cent and the second-highest growth in a region after Asia-Pacific which grew 9.9 per cent, according to consultancy Boston Consulting Group (BCG). In the region, where wealth grew just 1.9 per cent in 2015 compared with 2014, a pickup in oil prices has helped in wealth generation.

BCG is forecasting MEA wealth will rise to $12tn by 2021, growing at an annual average of 8 per cent.

Drivers of wealth generation in the region will be split evenly between new wealth creation and growth of performance of existing assets, according to BCG.

Another general trend in the region is clients’ looking for a comprehensive approach to investing, according to Mr AbuShaban.

“Institutional investors or some of the families are seeing a slowdown in the available capital they have to invest and in that sense they are looking at optimizing the way they manage their portfolios and making sure they are not investing haphazardly and different parts of their investment are working together,” said Mr AbuShaban.

Some clients also have a higher appetite for risk, given the low interest-rate environment that does not provide enough yield for some institutional investors. These clients are keen to invest in illiquid assets, such as private equity and infrastructure.

“What we have seen is a desire for higher returns in what has been a low-return environment specifically in various fixed income or bonds,” he said.

“In this environment, we have seen a de facto increase in the risk that clients are taking in things like illiquid investments, private equity investments, infrastructure and private debt, those kind of investments were higher illiquidity results in incrementally higher returns.”

The Abu Dhabi Investment Authority, one of the largest sovereign wealth funds, said in its 2016 report that has gradually increased its exposure in direct private equity and private credit transactions, mainly in Asian markets and especially in China and India. The authority’s private equity department focused on structured equities owing to “their defensive characteristics.”