If you can make it in America, you can make it anywhere
What struck me is that for the first time, US investors were actually asking about ESG. That may sound silly, but the US has been very far behind Europe and the UK in this regard.
Not just a pivot: technology solving real world problems
Everybody wants to invest in technology companies and every company wants to be one. This is as true in 30˚C Florida as it is on the frozen shores of Lake Michigan, in Milwaukee.
Silicon Valley feels like the Roman Empire
It’s where budding tech entrepreneurs want to be, it’s the engine room of the West Coast that accounted for 60% of all US private equity dollars invested in 2018. It is arguably Rome for the digital 21st century.
Review of the week: Mutiny on the Bounty
The Conservatives are falling over themselves to replace the Prime Minister, even as she doggedly works on her deal. Meanwhile, America fires another shot at China in the trade war.
Chart of the Week: Value seekers eye sterling
Kicking the Brexit can all the way to Halloween has done nothing but prolong the uncertainty that’s shrouded us for so long. The ‘good news’ is that we think sterling now looks so undervalued that, no matter what happens with Brexit, it should appreciate over the long term. So, those willing to hold on for a rough ride just may find themselves reaping the rewards when the Brexit puzzle is finally solved.
Property owners are adapting to the popularity of online shopping
We’ve always been a nation of shopkeepers and spendthrifts. But how we get our retail fix today is dramatically different to even five years ago, let alone the turn of the millennium
Review of the week: Pick a tribe
When facts become contested emotion unseats the rule of reason, muses chief investment officer Julian Chillingworth. And emotion is the enemy of compromise.
Chart of the Week: A new norm
As society struggled to get back on its feet in the wake of the 2008 global financial crisis, one thing was clear: society needs the investment industry to be active and responsible. For many, this meant thinking about signing the Stewardship Code, and upping their game on proxy voting and engagement with underlying companies. For us, this created further incentive to refine our existing approach. Since then, responsible investing has become mainstream and over 2,000 asset managers around the world are now signatories to the UN-backed Principles for Responsible Investing (PRI).
It’s important to be patient as the business cycle matures
Owing to its size and influence around the world, what happens in the US economy has important implications for financial markets everywhere.