Johanna Kyrklund: Putin and the Fed remind us what risk looks like City Talk Ski holidays are not relaxing at the best of times, especially with children. There is the fretting about injuries – I am thankful when we finish each day unscathed. There is the infuriation of getting children into their clothes and ski boots each day. That’s not even to mention the pain of Heathrow passport control. [...]
Outlook 2022: CIO and markets City Talk Equity returns will be more muted, but still positive, in 2022, supported by solid corporate earnings. Inflation remains a concern and will put pressure on central banks to start to raise rates. The latest Covid-19 variant – Omicron – is already leading to partial lockdowns, which could lead to slower growth at the start of [...]
Omicron: what it means for markets City Talk Mark Ainsworth, Head of Data Insights: The new Covid-19 variant B.1.1.529, or Omicron, that was identified last week in southern Africa has officially been classed a “variant of concern” by the World Health Organization. Covid-19 infections had already been on the rise in a number of countries, notably in Europe. This is due to colder [...]
How to win over companies and influence a better future August 9, 2021 Companies’ annual general meetings (AGMs) could be testy affairs back in the 1980s and 1990s, the UK’s era of mass share ownership. One former CEO of that period recently confessed to me: “Our security would ask if the venues had a sloping stage that made it impossible to run up. They were intense meetings.” Such [...]
Johanna Kyrklund: why bitcoin reminds me of the office’s appeal July 26, 2021 In the UK, 19 July was what some people called “Freedom Day”, as most Covid-19 restrictions were lifted. For the millions who have been working from home during this pandemic, this marks a significant change as the government has recommended a gradual return to the office. There are benefits to WFH and WHO Here at [...]
Johanna Kyrklund: Time to slow down (but not too much) June 7, 2021 In my family I am often mocked for being a cautious and slow driver. So it was ironic and a source of great amusement to them that I recently received a speeding ticket and had to attend a speed awareness course. One of the main messages from the course was that as a driver you [...]
Johanna Kyrklund: the FOMO market is over – so, what’s next? April 12, 2021 Maybe lockdown has made me more middle aged and boring. I’m just not as interested in trendy stuff any more, both in my personal life (I opted for a VW ID3, not a Tesla, after all) and now in investing. But in today’s markets a more boring approach – favouring diversification and judiciousness over more [...]
Why I can stomach higher equity valuations – Schroders CIO February 17, 2021 The rising involvement of retail investors has been an intriguing trend during the pandemic, culminating in the surge and slump of GameStop shares. As an industry, we worry about the disconnection of individual investors from financial markets, the hubs of wealth creation. Direct ownership of shares by individuals has been declining for decades. For that reason, [...]
What should investors care about most: A vaccine or the US President? November 13, 2020 The result of the US election was big news for the world, for the economy and markets. But as an investor I’ve always considered the pandemic of far greater consequence. Vaccine news steals election thunder Joe Biden’s electoral success was duly eclipsed by the news on Monday that an effective Covid-19 vaccine may have been [...]
Trump vs Biden – should investors really care? October 12, 2020 There are two things I’m being asked about constantly at the moment: Covid-19 and the US election. As a former politics student who’s always maintained my passion for the subject, I certainly feel more comfortable opining on the latter. But as an investor, how much should I really care if the next US president is [...]
