Weekend of 2/3 October 2021   Seasonal anxiety Bond markets are fretting Inflation jitters What’s pushing prices up? A well-diversified portfolio Seasonal anxiety Autumn is getting underway, and we are entering a period of the year during which investors are sometimes prone to anxiety. To make matters worse this year, the news is brimming with […]

Global Markets to 9 April 2021   Rising bond yields and a rotation into the more cyclical end of the stock market The pandemic has increased the pace of change A fifth industrial revolution? End-of-lockdown euphoria Government bond markets are nervous Sit tight; do nothing Rising bond yields … and a rotation into the more […]

Global Markets to 19 March 2021   Highlights A turbulent start to the year Inflation will rise, won’t it? Will it? Who’s right? Who’s wrong? Post-Covid investment opportunities More financial and economic challenges lie ahead Don’t forget to subscribe to your ISA or pension – there are only days to go!   Global Market Summary […]

Global Markets to 5 March 2021   Highlights Turmoil in the bond markets triggers a negative response from global investors. Nerves run high on the back of the threat of higher inflation and a possible central bank error. In the UK, Chancellor Sunak delivers his “spend now, tax later” budget. China unveils its next five-year […]

Global Markets to 21st February 2021   Highlights A year after the start of the pandemic, the vaccination programme is well underway. While 90% of the world’s economies fell into recession in 2020, global stock markets have been very resilient. In the UK, the success of the vaccination programme has pushed sterling back up to […]

Global Markets to 29th January 2021   Highlights Traders and investors grapple with elevated valuations, mixed news on the vaccine front and corporate earnings figures. Users of Reddit and Robinhood drive the share prices of GameStop and AMC up, sparking a short squeeze on hedge funds. In Davos, President Xi Jinping sets out his vision […]

Global Markets to 15th January 2021   Highlights A mixed week on the COVID front: good news on vaccines, but concerns over new variants. Biden pledges a further COVID stimulus package, but tells wealthy individuals and corporations to pay their fair share. The Democrats win the Senate: Wall Street is already experiencing the “blue wave” […]

Global Markets to 1st January 2021   Highlights Global equity markets soar in 2020 – despite the pandemic. Wall Street records impressive returns throughout the year, with technology leading the way. The Oxford-AstraZeneca vaccine is approved just as Covid cases surge and more regions move into Tier 4. After years of negotiation, Boris “gets Brexit […]

Global Markets to 20th December 2020   Highlights Global equities hit record highs with the MSCI World Index reaching a new peak The UK government announces new tier 4 measures in response to a new variant of Covid-19; the furlough scheme is extended, and the date of the next budget announced Still no post-Brexit trade […]

Global Markets to 5th December 2020   Highlights Global equity markets continue to rally as the end of the year approaches. The financial markets react well to positive vaccination news and Joe Biden’s staff nominations. The UK Chancellor issues a downbeat statement. Meanwhile, Brexit negotiations continue, but an agreement currently seems out of reach. Our […]

Strategic Insights | Investing for Positive Change     The state of the world One of the themes to which we return on a regular basis in our Strategic Insights is – quite simply – the state of the world in which we live. It is quite possible that this period at the start of […]

Global Markets to 8th November 2020   Highlights The Democrats win the election and Joe Biden readies himself to become the 46th president of the US. Kamala Harris will become the first female vice president and the first black South Asian to hold the title. The Democrats may have won the White House, but the […]

Global Markets to 11th October 2020   Highlights President Trump is declared Covid-free as the election draws nearer. The World Health Organisation reports a record one-day increase in global cases. In China, huge tourism revenue and optimistic news on the Covid front benefit both the currency and the stock market. It’s the final quarter of […]

Global Markets to 27th September 2020   Highlights Increasing Covid numbers, lingering uncertainties regarding a new fiscal stimulus bill and ongoing Brexit negotiations affect market sentiment The Chancellor announces a new wage subsidy as the current furlough scheme ends Governments and central banks remain accommodative Higher fiscal spending should provide investors with attractive investment opportunities […]

Global Markets to 13th September 2020   Highlights Last week’s pullback in technology stocks was inevitable after such an extraordinary rally New government socialising rules in a bid to tackle rising Covid case numbers In the US, Trump enjoys a surge in the polls: the election is not a done deal The UK government and […]

Global Markets to 23rd August 2020   Highlights Global equity markets suffer a volatile week, responding to mixed economic data Many of Wall Street’s leading indices hit new, all-time highs, despite market volatility In just two decades, Apple has gone from near-bankruptcy to being the most valuable company in the world Covid causes national debt […]

Global Markets to 9th August 2020   Highlights The Covid-19-catalysed innovation tidal wave is creating many investment opportunities. This structural transition is nothing new: it has been under way since the global financial crisis: Covid-19 has simply accelerated it. Low interest rates and bond yields have created a world of muted economic growth. The new […]

Global Markets to 26th July 2020   Highlights Global equity markets have delivered extraordinary returns since the end of March, but storm clouds are gathering. US corporate earnings results and the Federal Reserve Bank’s predictions about the US economy will influence the markets over the coming weeks. Covid-19 cases are on the rise in a […]

Global Markets to 12th July 2020   Highlights Global equity and bond markets have a good week as governments across the world continue to ease the lockdown. Sovereign bonds and gold continue to benefit from an appetite for safe-haven assets. The US sees its biggest ever single-day rise in Covid-19 cases. The UK Chancellor unveils […]

Global Markets to 5th July 2020   Highlights The second quarter of the year sees an extraordinary rally in global equity and credit markets. Governments and central banks remain steadfast in their drive to beat the virus and get the global economy back on track. While the economic data remains very weak, some green shoots […]

Global Markets to 21st June 2020   Highlights Global equity markets experience another mixed week as they continue to be buffeted by Covid-19 and economic data  Weaker predicted global economic data for the second quarter could mean that the bottom has been reached     Further central bank stimulus is announced by the Bank of England and […]

Global Markets to 7th June 2020   Highlights Global equity markets rally strongly throughout the week, boosted by some surprising data Global economic data remains mixed, but the situation in the US is looking better European Central Bank president Christine Lagarde announces a further stimulus push, indicating that more needs to be done A forceful […]

Global Markets to 29th May 2020   Highlights For the second consecutive month, the majority of global equity markets rally strongly. Lockdown measures are eased, although fatalities continue to rise and anxieties persist over the possibility of a second wave. Additional support measures are announced by the European Union in the shape of a €750 […]

Global Markets to 18th May 2020   Highlights The Covid-19 pandemic and intervention from authorities create volatile and unpredictable markets for investors. The global economic and corporate earnings backdrop looks dreadful over the short term, but global investors are beginning to look beyond this in the hope of better times ahead. Governments and central banks […]

Global Markets to 4th May 2020   Highlights Investors buy into optimism rather than sell into pessimism, pushing global equity markets higher. The S&P 500 Index and the Dow Jones Industrial average surge. But data remains grim: unemployment rises, economies shrink and Q2 corporate profitability looks poor. The technological revolution accelerates on the back of […]

Global Markets to 27th April 2020   Highlights Financial markets are dominated by the unprecedented collapse in the crude oil price as the May contract for physical deliveries collapses, sapped by a total lack of global demand. As long as the majority of the world remains in lockdown, any change in oil prices remains unlikely, […]

Global Markets to 20th April 2020   Highlights Global equity markets register their second week of gains, despite some awful economic data and corporate earnings reports. Year-on-year, China’s economy shrinks for the first time in four decades. But shops, restaurants and some small businesses are beginning to reopen (with safety measures in place). Early indications […]

Global Markets to 6th April 2020   Highlights The last two months have been a rollercoaster ride for financial markets and global investors: euphoria at the start of the year has given way to despair Data released over the coming weeks will show just how severe the effects of coronavirus will have been on the […]

Your Questions, Our Answers   As we approach the end of the tax year for 2020, we are still experiencing the most extraordinary circumstances.   The IQ team is well and is now fully accustomed to working from home. We use videoconferencing facilities to hold regular team meetings and are keeping up-to-date with our clients […]

Global Markets to 22nd March 2020   After another tough week for clients and staff alike, we would like to thank you all for your patience and support. Our advisers are doing their very best to make sure that we have continued and regular contact with you. Following Petronella’s message last Monday, I am writing […]

Global Markets to 9th March 2020   Highlights It’s another difficult week for global stock markets as uncertainty over the coronavirus continues to affect sentiment towards risk assets. The Federal Reserve Bank cuts interest rates by 0.50 basis points, with the central banks of Australia and Canada taking similar action. The 10-year Treasury benchmark yield […]

Global Markets to 2nd March 2020   Highlights Global stock markets aggressively correct as the coronavirus spreads throughout the world and US Treasury yields hit all-time lows as global investors seek safe-haven asset classes Brent crude oil prices continue to fall, while the fear gauge index climbs to its highest level since 2018 Governments, central […]

Global Markets to 24 February 2020   Highlights Downbeat economic data, partly linked to the coronavirus, takes its toll on global equity markets. In the US, the technology-heavy NASDAQ index falls following Apple’s warning that it will not meet its financial guidance for the current quarter because of Covid-19. The search for safety by investors […]

Global Markets to 10 February 2020   Highlights While the coronavirus continues to make the headlines, the world’s financial markets – with the exception of China’s – seem to have emerged unscathed. Hopes that the central banks will remain sympathetic and implement further monetary actions, China’s announcement of a reduction in US tariffs and President […]

Global Markets to 03 February 2020   Highlights Global equity markets suffer the effects of the coronavirus as the epidemic spreads beyond China. The UK finally leaves the European Union. The task for London and Brussels now is to carve out a trade deal before the end of the transition period. Governor of the Bank […]

Global Markets to 20 January 2020   Highlights Washington and Beijing sign a historical “phase one” interim trade agreement, but the deal fails to tackle some of the more contentious issues, making phase two interesting. Britain’s retail sector contracts in December, resulting in the longest spell of zero growth since records began. Will this lead […]

Global Markets to 06 January 2020   Highlights Many investors were expecting 2019 to be volatile and unrewarding, particularly after the flash crash that hit the global equity markets in December 2018. If there were ever a time when the global stock markets would be more uncertain and unpredictable, it was surely going to be […]