Knowledge and Insight - Economy

His heart is in Santorini, his head is in rural Wiltshire and his cash is in the freezer. Head of multi-asset investments David Coombs grapples with lockdown realities and the changes they could bring to shopping.

After the pandemic response, outstanding UK government debt is now as big as the whole economy. But that’s not necessarily an alarm bell, says chief investment officer Julian Chillingworth, as long as it’s spent on the right things.

Lockdown was much different back in the 1970s – we didn’t even know we were in lockdown. Our head of fixed income Bryn Jones thinks we’ve come a long way over his lifetime.

A flattening COVID-19 infection curve is steepening bond yield curves. Head of fixed income Bryn Jones wrestles with the outlook for inflation and the chances of another flare-up in COVID-19.

The prolonged coronavirus lockdown will have lasting economic and social impacts around the world. Here our investment team consider four key areas where things may never be the same again.

Austerity is the latest victim as the largest giveaway since 1992 is unleashed.

A plunge in oil prices has sent markets reeling, but the epidemic is still the main concern.

As Saudi Arabia fires the first shot in an oil price war, our chief investment officer Julian Chillingworth considers the longer-term implications in light of the Covid-19 epidemic. He also looks at the surprising results of Super Tuesday and the narrowing Democratic race for the White House.

As markets take a respite from their worst week of selling since the dark days of the Lehman’s collapse, our chief investment officer Julian Chillingworth considers the longer-term implications for investors, and also looks at the narrowing Democratic primary race to take on Donald Trump.