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
The risk in doing good
Diversity, equity and inclusion is important to ensure businesses get the best skills, avoid group-think and better understand their customers, argues our Multi-Asset Portfolios lead fund manager, David Coombs. But – as with anything – risks remain.
4 mins
Hoarding Cash
Why take risk when you can be paid 5% or more to leave your cash at the bank? Because you’re forgetting about tomorrow, argues head of multi-asset investments David Coombs.
5 mins
Squaring the dividend triangle
Striking the balance between delivering a tasty income today while sowing the seeds for higher dividends in years to come is the artful science at the heart of equity income investing. Rathbone Income Fund manager Alan Dobbie explains how he approaches the task.
4 mins
Barbenheimer, renewables and the power of hype
Rahab Paracha, sustainable multi-asset investment specialist, finds lessons for sustainable investors in Hollywood hoopla.
5 mins
What’s in a name?
Industry veteran David Coombs, our head of multi-asset investments, gets cranky about lazy labelling and job name inflation as he dispenses 40 years’ wisdom to budding finance acolytes.
5 mins
The lights are still on for the US economy
Rathbone Global Opportunities fund manager James Thomson explains why he thinks the US economy may turn out to be brighter this year than feared. And can US stocks keep climbing if the economy slows, but doesn’t shrink?
4 mins
Nothing to fear but fear itself?
After braving Italian traffic, Head of Multi-Asset Investments David Coombs is in no mood to sit on the sidelines. But he worries that the fear-driven race to avoid missing the stock market’s few biggest winners could screech to a sudden halt.
3 mins
Time for a change
Much of the world’s water infrastructure has suffered from years of neglect and lack of investment. Rathbone Greenbank Global Sustainability Fund manager David Harrison looks at the solutions.
4 mins
A far-sighted perspective on near-term bond market moves
Tilting towards shorter-term bonds has made sense as interest rates have marched higher. But Head of Fixed Income Bryn Jones explains why he’s now panning out to longer-perspectives and adding more interest rate risk (duration) to his funds.
5 mins
Live long and prosper?
We tend to view the ageing of our society as a worrying thing. Rathbone Income Fund co-manager Carl Stick favours a more positive spin that recognises that greater longevity gives us longer futures, widening our options to work, spend and save.
4 mins
Sustainability is about people, not just the environment
The planet and its climate get most of the attention with sustainable investors. Rathbones sustainable multi-asset investment specialist Rahab Paracha explains why improving people’s lives is perhaps more important and how that may even help solve our environmental problems.
4 mins
Why the long face?
After a tough few years for the UK, things are starting to look up, argues Rathbone UK Opportunities Fund manager Alexandra Jackson. The chances of recession have dropped, political stability has returned and profits are cheap. When will investors notice?
3 mins