Global Matters Weekly – Turning the corner?

Happy New Year to all our readers. As we enter the third year of the Covid-19 pandemic, uncertainty remains elevated in financial markets, largely centred on further Covid variants and the prospect of tighter monetary policy. Markets have largely brushed off these concerns of late and have come a long way since the lows of 2020.
As equity markets continue to rise and reach new highs, valuations across many developed equity markets are looking stretched and it is becoming increasingly difficult for investors to find value. While many markets appear expensive, we believe there are opportunities to which investors should pay attention: one of those being Japan.