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A tale of two Asias
By Cherry Reynard. There are two Asias: One buoyed by economic development, consumer spending and technological innovation; the other vulnerable to increasing US protectionism and a strong dollar While our focus is on companies rather…
The Maths of Economics – Trump’s Trade Policies Could be a Disaster
Since Brexit, there has been a growing debate about the usefulness of current economic thinking. The basic story seems to be that the economics community broadly failed to forecast the 2008 financial crisis and the subsequent…
Week in review: Home comforts
Global equity markets continued to rally, with the FTSE 100 up 0.57% and the S&P 500 up 0.46% by Thursday’s close. Familiar themes – the ‘Trump trade’, Brexit and the Eurozone’s problems – rumbled on…
What a Difference a Year Makes
Alex Scott, Deputy Chief Investment Officer. 10 February 2017. What a difference a year makes! A year ago, investors were in panic mode, still battered by the shock of the Chinese devaluation in August and…
Value: The beginning of a New Era?
2016 is obviously going to be remembered as a year of great change from a political point of view, but it also could go down as the end of the great bond bull market, which…
A Big Year for Macri’s Argentina
Macri’s early months as president were well received by investors, who applauded his strident attempts to reform Argentina’s sclerotic economy, and voters who wanted a change. However, one year on and the economy is struggling,…
Brexit: AIC recommends layered approach to funds regulation
The AIC is urging the Government to secure consumer, competitive and regulatory benefits following the UK’s withdrawal from the EU by taking a layered approach to funds regulation. Tailoring funds regulation approach following Brexit: Consumer,…
Searching for the Next Decent Trade
It seems like each week so far in 2017 we have been looking at different variations of the Trump reflation trade, and questioning whether the evidence backs a continuation, or a reversal. Frustratingly, it’s been…
Week in review: Fed up with fame
Long ago in the days of yore (well, pre-2016), investors looked to the sages of the central banking world to provide wisdom and guidance. Stock markets could plunge on the inscrutable utterances of Ben Bernanke,…
Reflective Calm or Sleepwalking in a Minefield?
For years, markets have been becalmed by the soothing remedies handed out by central banks at the first sign of trouble. And for years, many (ourselves included) have warned that there must be unintended consequences…
Week in review: the Trump bump
No, not the latest dance craze to clog up the internet, but rather the term some are employing to describe the effects of his election as US president on equity markets. While the trend seemed…
Back on the Radar
Colombia and Ecuador are attracting international mining investors, with each country showing that they can permit modern large-scale mining projects and create attractive investment conditions, writes Paul Harris in Medellin, Colombia… Colombia Despite the immense…
A Pause for Breath – But Inflation is Still Coming
Alex Scott, Deputy Chief Investment Officer. 24 January 2017. Investors have been sensing hints of inflation since the summer. With Trump’s election win in November, those hints became much less subtle. The US economy, already…
Fed Balance Sheet Reduction Being Ignored by Markets
With all the talk of new President Trump, and how his proposals may impact the economy and financial markets, we thought we would pick up on something that seems to be slipping under the radar…
Week in review: Obama out
It’s the end of the Obama era, as the 44th president of the United States steps aside, making way for a successor whose views and ideals are significantly different to his own. In his final…
The case for sterling
Ben Kumar, Investment Manager. 18 January 2017. So Theresa has finally spoken, and we are… not that much the wiser. There were a few new bits of information though – highlighted below with some comment.…
Mexico Scares Investors
It seems a long time ago now but when Enrique Peña Nieto managed to pass a series of structural reforms in late 2013 investor optimism in Mexico peaked. To be fair to Peña Nieto he…
On The Eve of Change
Donald Trump held his first press conference since the election last week. Just in case there was any doubt, we think the style and the substance tell us that change is coming; potentially big changes.…