UK money-market funds can offer safe haven amid Middle East fallout
The UK economy made a lacklustre start to the year – unexpectedly failing to grow in January – even before the Middle East war sparked a global energy shock. The unemployment rate hit a near five-year high of 5.2% in the final quarter of 2025. However, a fall in inflation to 3% underpinned expectations of […]
Behind South Korea’s spectacular surge
South Korea ended 2025 as the best‑performing major equity market in the world – KOSPI index surged 83%1 that delivered a significant tailwind to Federated Hermes’ Asia ex‑Japan Equity Strategy, which had a big overweight to the country. But after such a stellar year, the question for investors is obvious: what happens next? The Strategy […]
SDG Engagement High Yield Credit annual report, 2025
Converting potential to realised impacts
Make yourself at home
In the liquidity space, the first quarter of the year typically sees outflows due largely to a reversal of year-end window-dressing, the corporate tax date on March 15 and preparation for individual tax payments in April. Not so this year. Total industry money market fund assets under management (AUM) held firm at around US$7.45tn (iMoneyNet […]
On not responding to events
The war with Iran has once again placed geopolitical risk as the major topic in most investment discussions. At times like these, some investors try to move opportunistically — buying asset classes or sectors that they expect to benefit while shedding those that look set to lose. Others aim to time the market. Others, still, […]
360°, H1 2026:
Is this what it sounds like when doves cry?
What are the long-term implications of the Iran war?
GEMs Equity
Market Snapshot
Testing the resilience of the global economy
Sustainable Global Equity, Annual Report 2025
Fast reading The next generation of generative and agentic AI has the potential to benefit both sustainability and development, driving efficiencies across a wide range of sectors that can significantly reduce resource use and emissions while helping deliver on key UN SDGs. However, the technology itself has a growing environmental footprint, and companies must manage […]
The long and the short of it in Iran
Markets rarely move in a straight line during geopolitical crises, but they do follow patterns. At the outset of the conflict, the Trump administration positioned military action against Iran as a short, targeted operation: degrade nuclear and missile capabilities and accelerate regime change in the region. Yet as we approach the three-week mark, the timeline […]
