Category: Investment Outlook
Economy hits an air pocket
8 October 2021October has carried on where September left off, with quite a bit of daily up and down for markets, but with a slight downwards trend. We deliver our end-of-month review of September in this week’s second article. For UK readers,...
Rising yields are back
1 October 2021The energy bottlenecks we wrote about last week became rather more personal for the large proportion of the UK population that are motorists. In fairness, the UK’s petrol station forecourt crisis has little to do with rising...
Wall of worry time
24 September 2021The UK received worrying economic news on multiple fronts this week, with several utility companies going under and the prospect of steep rises in winter heating costs, petrol stations running out of fuel, gaps on supermarket...
End of the re-opening honeymoon
17 September 2021We are halfway through September and investors have not experienced a continuation of the positive returns picture of the summer months. This is despite COVID restrictions gradually lifting (not only in the UK) and an on-track...
Paying for it – the major economies ponder their balance sheets
10 September 2021Last week, we noted the increasing importance of fiscal policy, and sure enough this week the UK kicked-off the new school year with a big fiscal bang. National Insurance contributions are on the rise, along with a further tax...
Politics and policy sit at the head of the table
3 September 2021This week has felt a bit like the whole month of August. Equity markets (North America and Europe) were in the green over the past few days, and then on Friday expressed their disappointment over the weak US jobs report. Market...
Fed tapering: the ‘how’ matters more than ‘when’
27 August 2021Questions over when and how the US Federal Reserve (Fed) would begin tapering its monthly securities purchases has been much talked about over the last few months. But ahead of today’s keynote speech at the Jackson Hole symposium,...
Markets hit a bit of to and fro
20 August 2021Investors would be forgiven to think that this week’s downdraft in global stock markets was in reaction to the rapid unfolding of the tragic events in Kabul, Afghanistan. However, as long-time observers of risk asset markets...
Climbing the wall of worry – again
13 August 2021August continues to be what one would expect from the middle of the summer: quiet. Yet for investors, it is also pleasing that stock markets around the world are gradually nudging upwards, allowing them to remain relaxed wherever...
Mega techs under the cosh
6 August 2021After an unexciting July in terms of investment returns, August has made a strong start, with US job markets figures delivering a much-appreciated positive surprise today, while corporate earnings reports continue to support elevated...