Overall Market Backdrop, March After a two-month slump, developed equities finally broke free from negative returns. However, the same can not be said about emerging markets, which have extended their negative run to 3-months. On the back of a challenging inflation environment, the Federal Reserve (Fed) and Bank of England (BoE) both raised policy rates by […]
Introduction On Monday March 23rd 2020, the UK went into its first lockdown, following the outbreak and rapid spread of coronavirus. At this point, Rishi Sunak had been Chancellor of the Exchequer for little more than a month, having replaced Sajid Javid on February 13th. He delivered his first Budget a month later, presenting what […]
In September Germany went to the polls to elect a new government – and a successor to Angela Merkel, who had decided not to seek a fifth term as Chancellor. The result was inconclusive. The Social Democrats (SPD) topped the poll with 25.7% of the vote and a provisional 206 seats in the Reichstag, with […]
“Get Brexit done,” Boris Johnson famously said in his party political spoof of Love Actually just before the last General Election. Well, Brexit got done and – with International Trade Secretary (now Foreign Secretary) Liz Truss leading the way – the UK embarked on a series of deals with other countries, most notably applying to […]
Introduction The Chancellor of the Exchequer, Rishi Sunak, presented his first Budget of 2021 on Wednesday March 3rd. Now, a little under eight months later, he was back, rising to speak after Prime Minister’s Questions as he once again tried to chart the UK economy’s recovery from the COVID-19 pandemic – and find a way […]
In days gone by, life was relatively simple. You left school or university, you found a job and barring moving away or your employer going bust you stayed with that employer until you retired. Today, and especially after the pandemic, that situation has changed significantly. Employees want flexibility, they want the ability to work from […]
The defining image of August 2021 had little to do with the stock market on the surface, it was, of course, the withdrawal of British and American troops from Afghanistan. As some readers will know, Afghanistan has significant mineral reserves, which some estimates put at $1tn (£730bn). These reserves include lithium, so it will be […]
You may have seen the film The Social Network. In the film, Jesse Eisenberg, playing Facebook founder Mark Zuckerberg, is musing on wealth. “A million dollars?” he says, and shrugs. “But a billion dollars… that would be cool.” The film was released in 2010. Eleven years on the scriptwriters may need to add three more […]
If you’re the sort of person who likes their glass half-empty then there will be plenty of opportunities to find something to worry about at the moment. The recovery from the pandemic, global tensions and all the staff shortages in the news can turn anyone into a pessimist. On top of that, some are suggesting […]