In the KNOW blog

Peak China? That’s the question raised in the latest edition of the Economist. Rathbones head of asset allocation Oliver Jones summarises why we think the days of super-charged Chinese growth are over.

The resilience of stock markets in the face of a banking crisis and potential recession is perplexing many investors – Rathbone Global Opportunities fund manager James Thomson included. He wonders whether the promise of AI might have something to do with it.

It’s not just high-street shoppers who are getting more cost-conscious. Investors too are focusing more on how much value they’re getting for their money. Rathbone Income Fund co-manager Alan Dobbie asks whether this could signal a step-change for UK stocks.

The market to supply new-fangled electronics for tomorrow’s smarter, cleaner cars has captivated head of multi-asset investments David Coombs for several years. But in a costlier world, could there also be a resurgence in keeping older, dirtier, yet more economical, vehicles running for longer?

Last month’s banking sector volatility rattled investor confidence in some bank bonds. But, as fixed income fund manager Stuart Chilvers argues, there’s still a compelling case for investing in higher-quality corporate bonds.

Failing lenders bring back memories of the dark days of 2008 and 2009. Rathbones head of multi-asset investments David Coombs explains why he thinks a global financial crisis is unlikely, but notes how technology has made banking easier for customers and harder for bankers.

Work intrudes on head of multi-asset investments David Coombs’s vacation time as Silicon Valley Bank collapses. He marvels at just how fast information – and misinformation – can spread and suggests social media may be a risk to financial stability.

Decades of trade between the US and China boosted living standards considerably in both nations, but their relationship has been fraying for some time. Rathbones head of multi-asset investments David Coombs believes this unravelling is keeping inflation elevated.

As the hard slog of winter drags on, sustainable multi-asset investment specialist Rahab Paracha considers whether ESG issues and sustainable investing can sustain their strong momentum this year.

The era of virtually zero percent interest rates is over. Rathbones head of multi-asset investments David Coombs believes that means a return to boom and bust, and he outlines which businesses are most at risk.

Watching the Super Bowl in the wee hours of the morning makes senior multi-asset investment specialist Craig Brown misty eyed for his days playing guard somewhere deep in Essex and the past. It’s also a good reminder that not all gridiron players – or investments – are built for the same jobs.

Our (sort of) new Rathbone Funds chief investment officer Tom Carroll joined us as a decade-long economic world order was ending with a bang. Did he have to search under the desks for his fund managers?