Equity markets notched their best performance on record in November as investors cheered three, separate, COVID-19 vaccines which posted pleasing results in late-stage trials. Market participants were quick to price in a sharper economic recovery, with monetary and fiscal policy remaining ultra-easy and the vaccine providing hope for a quicker […]
US ELECTIONS WHAT HAS HAPPENED (IN CASE YOU HAVE BEEN LIVING UNDER A ROCK)? Joe Biden has won the US presidential election. The Senate will probably stay in Republican hands (all eyes are on Georgia for the results of the runoff in January). Biden had an ambitious agenda with regards […]
Likely political makeup of Washington: Election outcome remains too close to call Key features: The failure of either party to get a clean sweep will hamper new policy initiatives If President Trump stays in power, basic policy agenda will remain as it has been Fiscal loosening will still be on […]
Risk assets ended October on the back foot, weighed down by news of renewed nationwide COVID-19 lockdowns across Europe and pre-US election jitters. Equity benchmarks in the developed world fell, led by weakness in Europe and the UK, however, emerging market stocks ended the month higher. US Treasuries and corporate […]
The release of this outlook coincides with the 6-month anniversary of when the UK first entered lockdown. As households and companies adjust to this COVID-19 dominated era, so must investors. One of the main conclusions is that the combination of VUCA (Volatility, Uncertainty, Complexity and Ambiguity) is the highest that […]
After five months of consecutive gains, the recovery in financial markets stalled in September. Initially profit taking in the technology sector led the market lower, but weakness spilled over across global risk markets as investors reflected on a list of growing concerns. The fiscal stimulus impasse in Washington, rising COVID-19 […]
Financial markets have rallied since April, with investors growing more confident that economies will turn around quickly from the fallout caused by the pandemic. Their optimism has increased in recent weeks as various countries have started to ease lock-down restrictions and tentative signs of stabilisation have emerged. Daily activity trackers […]
Financial markets have rallied since April, with investors growing confident that economies will turn around quickly from the fallout from the pandemic. Their optimism has grown stronger in recent weeks as various countries have started to ease lockdown restrictions and tentative signs of stabilisation have emerged. Daily activity trackers from […]
The first real pandemic in 100 years, the bursting of a credit and asset bubble that everyone believed in, and the incredible speed of the reversal has left many people bewildered, confused and grasping at straws. It is natural for human nature to look for hopeful outcomes at a time […]