Ahead of the Curve, Q4 2022

Fast reading: Macro outlook: The European energy crisis, mounting inflation (implying tighter monetary policies), and a poorly performing Chinese economy are all battling for the spotlight on the stage of economic uncertainty. The geopolitics of high inflation: While policy decisions are often the results of short-term pressures, recent geopolitical developments can provide some guidance with […]

Central banks ramp up rates in shadow of recession

market snapshot

Sustainable Global Equity, Q3 2022 report

Containers on the boats

Are global supply chains on the mend?

360°, Q3 2022

Mountain stream

Rates, recovery, recession

Fiorino: Can Europe’s banks withstand high-pressure energy disruption?

A sculpture depicting an ancient animal

As Europe grapples with a gas crisis caused by the war in Ukraine, investors are facing up to a fundamental truth: energy is everything. Russia’s efforts to restrict, or cut off, the flow of natural gas to Europe via the Nord Stream 1 pipeline, which runs under the Baltic Sea from Russia to Germany, has […]

Markets on edge despite Bank of England intervention

market snapshot

Animal farming and ESG: a sector where some are more equal than others

The animal farming industry entered the pandemic widely regarded as an ESG laggard: a sector noted for its high greenhouse gas emissions, unethical treatment of livestock, and intensive land and water use, and a leading global cause of deforestation. The Farm Animal Investment Risk and Return (FAIRR) initiative found the industry has done ‘too little […]

The spoils of the pandemic: in this together?

The contrast between the poor part of the city and the rich one

The annual publication of the Forbes rich list has become a much-followed media ritual, however, in 2022, the unveiling of the list served as a stark reminder – for those who cared to see it – of the asymmetrical impact of the pandemic. The world’s 10 richest men more than doubled their fortunes during the […]

Goodbye share buybacks, hello bond buybacks

Picture of the roof of the skyscrapers

As investors consider surging corporate debt costs since the beginning of the year, equity as a funding tool is now starting to look comparatively cheap. In fact, the relative cost of equity for shareholders (as defined by the dividend yield) over the cost of debt is the cheapest it has been since 2012 (see figure […]

The biodiversity domino effect

Field with cut down trees

The common goods of nature There is growing awareness in the financial sector of the interlinked climate and biodiversity emergencies, and the potential impacts on economies and markets. Research suggests over 50% of global GDP is highly or moderately dependent on nature¹. Failure to act on these issues could result in collapsing food systems and […]