About Us
All about us and our track record
You probably already know that Dennehy Weller & Co (or DWC) is one of a few independent financial advisers the media regularly contact for expert opinion on investment and personal finance issues.
DWC was originally set up in 1981, specialising in investment management for a worldwide client base. The current management, who also have a legal background, then took over in 1987, broadening the scope of the services, and building a reputation for detailed and incisive research.
DWC and the media
The company is regularly quoted in the press, from the Mail on Sunday, Times, and Telegraph, through to the Financial Times and the Investors Chronicle, and has featured on BBC TV and radio and Sky.
For many years Brian Dennehy was one of the financial "agony aunts" in Moneywise, the largest circulation personal finance magazine, and he now regularly answers readers letters in the Mail on Sunday and Money Telegraph and contributes to makeovers for the Financial Times and Daily Telegraph, amongst others. He also writes the Market Commentary for one of the most successful UK stockmarket newsletters, Smaller Company Sharewatch.
DWC research and guides
Dennehy Weller & Co were prominent commentators on matters as diverse as the troubles with Equitable and the deflation risk.
Regular analysis and guides are published on funds (the 6 monthly “TopFunds Guide”), corporate bonds, and retirement options (particularly the more complex choices, including the impact of the Green paper).
DWC's track record covering three decades
DWC has a track record going back to the 1980's of providing clients with hugely valuable advice e.g. strongly recommending NOT to buy technology funds in the late 1990's. There are other examples, and we highlight some below, many of which were reflected in quotations within the national press or in published answers to readers letters, for example, in the Mail on Sunday:
Stockmarket crash in 1987: in the week before the “crash” we identified the risk, and were able to sell a good proportion of client's stockmarket funds – our biggest problem was getting through to the fund managers as the end of the prior week coincided with the “great storm” in SE England.
Property crash in 1989: we advised clients to sell portfolios of buy-to-let and development properties. We sold our private homes to prove our confidence in the analysis.
Anticipating stockmarket recovery from 1989: as we headed in to the longest and deepest recession since the 1930's we highlighted the attractions of stockmarket investment as we entered the 1990's.
High income bonds: from the first half of the 1990's we highlighted these products (now called precipice bonds) as a disaster waiting to happen.
Stockmarket bubble: from 1996 we highlighted the growing stockmarket risks, and increasingly took advantage of gilt and corporate bond and property funds.
Technology mania: we were widely reported as identifying the technology bubble in 1998/9, though in a very small minority. In fact in all of the above instances we were in a small minority – but were never deterred.
Current problems? Phew, that's a tough one. The period we are now in is possibly unprecedented since the 1930's, and perhaps for longer. In such an environment you will need an adviser that has a track record of anticipating problems just over the horizon.
Our analysis will never be perfect, but, as you can see above, this is the third decade in which our track record has been adding considerable value to the advice we give our clients.
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daily quote:
“ All generalisations are bad. (R H Grenier) ”