The Bank of England (BoE) raised rates in early November from 0.25% to 0.5%. A decent boost from the services sector helped third-quarter GDP grow by a faster than expected 0.4%, a solid enough justification for the hike.

British investors may get a shock when they look at their returns this month. For those investing in sterling, overseas stock market performances were downright dismal

A North Korean missile, potentially capable of carrying a nuclear payload, soared over Japan in late August and sunk into the Sea of Japan. In response, 10-year Japanese government bond (JGBs) yields sunk too, from 0.009% to -0.009%.

Currencies bounced around last month as investors debated the strength of the UK’s Brexit negotiating position, whether the Federal Reserve (Fed) will slow its rate hikes, and if the European Central Bank will soon cut the number of bonds it buys each month as part of its quantitative easing programme.

Inflation has flared up again in the UK, but that doesn’t mean the globe is awash with soaring prices.