Economic and market insight
Review of the week
Review of the week: The price of money
Higher inflation is starting to leak into central bankers’ plans for interest rate hikes and ‘tapering’ of QE. Meanwhile, the UK suffers an energy crisis as the COP26 climate summit approaches.
8 mins
Review of the week: Breathing space
The children have returned to classes and the adults seem to be drifting back to the office. The pandemic still looms large though, affecting travel, spending and taxes.
7 mins
Review of the week: Are labour markets working?
Labour markets are struggling to get to grips with new post-pandemic supply and demand dynamics. Meanwhile, tighter scrutiny is increasing tech companies’ costs of doing business.
4 mins
Review of the week: Red dawn
China reminds everyone that communists like to meddle in markets. Meanwhile earnings are booming in the West as the recovery rolls on despite investor nervousness.
6 mins
Review of the week: Reaching for the heavens
Virgin Galactic pushes the frontiers of tourism yet higher with a successful passenger shuttle flight into the mesosphere. Miles below, COVID-19 continues to spread.
5 mins
Review of the week: Celebrations, American style
US markets make new records just in time for Independence Day. While Americans take a day off, it seems a good time to take a look at a tough corner of the UK labour market.
7 mins
Review of the week: Midsummer mojo?
Stock markets have regained their positive momentum, but don’t expect a balmy and tranquil summer ahead.
4 mins
Review of the week: Federal foresight
The US central bank’s nod to the surging American recovery frightened markets last week. These wobbly moments could become a longer-term fixture of the global recovery.
6 mins
Review of the week: Laborious statistics
Jobs are the key to true recovery and the best clue to the path of longer-term inflation. Meanwhile, the great vaccination rolls on.
7 mins
Review of the week: A changing tune
After an austere run for many years, the mood music for global companies seems to have stepped up a beat. Businesses are splashing the cash and investing for a new future.
5 mins
Review of the week: Making a change
Breaking the inertia of old habits can be revitalising. Brits are up for a change and that could spark a regional economic revival.
5 mins
Review of the week: Stuck in inflation fixation?
Inflation concerns aren’t receding despite policymakers’ best efforts. Expect more inflation scares to trigger further stock and bond market volatility.
6 mins
Rolling with the devil
Whether rolling cheese down a hill, braving the chaos of a Spanish fiesta or investing in the stock market, you should always take precautions, argues Will McIntosh-Whyte, assistant manager of our multi-asset funds.
3 mins
UK financials – back from the brink
Ten years on from the nationalisation of virtually the whole UK banking sector, it’s now a much safer place to invest. Banks may not be the racy investments they were pre-crisis, but David Coombs, our head of multi-asset investments, explains why boring may be good when it comes to banks.
4 mins
Cheaper bonds mean cheaper stocks
A hefty jump in US Treasury yields seems the most likely reason for October’s abrupt sell-off. But chief investment officer Julian Chillingworth finds it hard to believe the US economy is about to keel over, given recent data, and believes equities – while volatile – should remain the place to be for the foreseeable future.
5 mins
The double-edged sword of longevity
People may be living longer than before, but many of them still routinely underestimate how long they might live. And that means there's a very real risk that they could outlive their retirement funds altogether.
3 mins
Hope and glory
In some ways, the US and UK are more alike than ever: both are wrestling with their identities as nations. And yet the Special Relationship is a study in contrasts economically, notes chief investment officer Julian Chillingworth.
4 mins
Diamonds in the Bo…rough
Will McIntosh-Whyte, assistant manager of our multi-asset funds, finds a few hidden gems while exploring his new digs in zone one. He found another in Wisconsin, USA.
3 mins
A brand new world: why millennials matter
Rathbones’ head of equity research Sanjiv Tumkur discusses how the next generation is steering consumer trends, and why millennials matter for investors of all ages.
4 mins
A brand new world: challenges to established brands
Companies selling big global brands have come to be known as ‘dividend aristocrats’ because of their long track records of stable earnings power. Rathbones’ head of equity research Sanjiv Tumkur discusses how these ‘branded gentry’ are under threat in a rapidly changing consumer landscape, and how some are adapting.
4 mins
Beware the guru
Elon Musk has got himself in hot water with the SEC after months of erratic behaviour. Our head of multi-asset investments, David Coombs, ponders the effects of hubris.
3 mins
It’s the real (skinny) thing
Coca-Cola’s purchase of Costa Coffee is a smart move away from sugar and gives the company plenty of options, argues head of multi-asset investments David Coombs. And the growth in coffee sales may surprise you …
4 mins
Underneath the arches
David Coombs, our head of multi-asset investments, has been watching too much EastEnders. But it’s got him thinking about how assets can be dressed up as something else.
3 mins
Automation for the nation: the future of finance
Artificial intelligence (AI) is infiltrating every area of modern life, from voice recognition devices like Alexa to driverless cars. And financial technology is not immune from the relentless march of AI either.
3 mins