Over the past several weeks, the tone of global equity markets has changed, with several breaking uptrends from last autumn. Many attribute this to a combination of restrictive policies of the Federal Reserve in the face of weakening jobs data, along with the technical unwind of the Japanese carry trade,
On the surface, markets appear to have been uneventful in July, with few sizeable moves over the month - the S&P 500 index was up 1.2%, MSCI World index of developed markets +1.8%, emerging markets +0.3%, and US Treasuries +2.1%. The most notable moves were in currencies, with the yen
The Chinese consumer, once a major driving force behind global luxury sales, is currently showing signs of weakness. This slowdown is influencing the broader economic landscape and the decline in consumer spending is having a huge impact on the luxury sector. Despite the current challenges, the long-term growth potential for
Interest rates profoundly affect world economies and our personal finances. Monthly mortgage payments, for many their largest single financial commitment, are dependent on either short-term interest rates, set by central banks, or government bond yields (or in bond jargon ‘swap’ rates, which are closely linked to government bond yields). Download