Economic and market insight
Review of the week
Review of the week: A platinum reign
A long and honourable reign has ended. We are deeply saddened by the passing of Queen Elizabeth II, and our thoughts are with the Royal Family.
7 mins
Review of the week: Now what, Prime Minister?
After a lengthy political vacuum over the summer, incoming prime minister Liz Truss must move fast to get to grips with a daunting set of challenges. An energy price cap (costing billions) seems inevitable.
8 mins
Review of the week: Bailey’s warning
The Old Lady of Threadneedle Street is putting off a ghoulish vibe, giving people the chills despite the summer drought.
6 mins
Review of the week: England’s pride
A faultless tournament from the English women’s football team lands a team of dreamers a top-shelf prize, offering a welcome ray of good news in a tough year.
7 mins
Review of the week: All eyes on the US
The eyes of the world’s markets are firmly on the US as it gears up for a critical week of economic data releases and corporate earnings announcements.
5 mins
Review of the week: Hotting up
The central banks’ fight against inflation blazes on, now joined by boiling weather all over the Northern Hemisphere. Why does Europe have the toughest path ahead of it?
6 mins
Review of the week: No, Prime Minister
It’s bye bye for Boris after one scandal too many, yet it shouldn’t affect UK markets much if at all. Meanwhile, the Bank of England is making sure British banks are as safe as houses.
7 mins
Review of the week: A tale of halves
It was the worst six months in 50 years for US stocks, yet the market is still comfortably higher than before the pandemic struck. Risks have risen, but there’s also room for optimism.
6 mins
Review of the week: Back to the future
A solid drop in bond yields helped boost stocks and reminds us of the earlier days of ultra-modern monetary policy. Meanwhile, gas prices see-saw on the Atlantic fulcrum.
6 mins
Review of the week: Growth fears rise
With inflation running hot, central bankers are gearing up to hike interest rates fast. But this is worrying investors who think the economy may not be able to take it.
6 mins
Review of the week: Inflation persists
The price level is yet to find a ceiling, so the value of stocks and bonds have no floor. Markets will swing between hope and despair until inflation is inarguably falling.
6 mins
Review of the week: Is hot wage growth cooling?
Financial markets remain volatile as they try to gauge whether the healthy jobs market could stoke too-high inflation. Meanwhile, tensions between Prime Minister Boris Johnson and his party are escalating sharply.
5 mins
What happens when UK investors go on strike?
It’s not only train drivers, doctors and teachers downing tools in the UK. Rathbone Income Fund Manager Alan Dobbie asks where all the investors have gone.
4 mins
Ceasing to worship at the altar of stock-pickers
Back in secondary school, our head of multi-asset investments David Coombs was a champion stock-picker. Although, he had help from his teacher’s direct line to the market – which taught him markets tend to be unfair.
4 mins
2024: The Year. Maybe?
Our head of multi-asset investments David Coombs starts the new year making a three-point turn with a dump truck of salt. Behold, we have his predictions.
3 mins
After Eights for Christmas
Our resident Grinch, multi-asset fund manager Will McIntosh-Whyte, brings us mixed tidings. Having been caught in a crowded trade for Christmas presents, he’s trying to avoid making the same mistake with the Magnificent Seven in our multi-asset portfolios .
6 mins
The beauty of being sustainable
Beauty may be skin-deep but Rahab Paracha, sustainable multi-asset investment specialist, expects more from beauty companies’ sustainability policies.
5 mins
A Special Thanksgiving
Our Rathbone Global Opportunities Fund manager James Thomson celebrates a phenomenal 20 years at the helm this November. He looks back and wonders about his youthful exuberance.
4 mins
Present Stress
Investors have spent a year obsessing over risks. Head of multi-asset investments David Coombs tries to deal with them one at a time.
6 mins
Bonding Over Shared Scares
As Halloween approaches, head of fixed income Bryn Jones takes on the guise of everyone’s favourite maths teacher to spook you all with a few charts.
2 mins
In search of a UK catalyst
Why are investors not buying into Britain? Alan Dobbie, Rathbone Income Fund manager, examines what's affecting views of the UK stock market.
3 mins
Ozempic Gold
Multi-Asset Portfolios fund manager Will McIntosh-Whyte tries to give up sugar, but it turns out he wasn’t sweet enough. Will it turn him onto the next-generation weight-loss drugs?
6 mins
Lending to the world’s biggest borrowers
Famously, banks are the most leveraged businesses on the planet. That’s why financial institutions issue something like half of all corporate bonds worldwide by value, explains fixed income fund manager Stuart Chilvers.
4 mins
The benefit or harm of AI is in its use
AI, like all technologies, is neither good nor evil. It’s a tool with the potential for both great benefit and great harm. Whether the good outweighs the bad will depend on how people use it.
4 mins