Electric Vehicles and Market Penetration: Investment Implications
In this week’s commentary, we opted to discuss electric vehicles (EVs). We are of the opinion that EVs present good opportunities for investment consideration. Such investments could look into at least two segments, namely the manufacturers and the materials that are...
Weekly Market Update
Market Action Global equities extended their gains this week and the Dow breached 23,000. Over the last week U.S. fund investors rushed into American and emerging market equities: Stock mutual funds and ETFs overall attracted $5.4B in the week ended Oct. 18, while...
Financial Stability and Business Cycle: Cicero on Risk Migration, Exogenous Shocks, and the Twin Engines
Resilient and liquid financial markets are essential to keeping the global economy going. A decade ago payments systems and capital markets seized up almost everywhere and a year later the world was facing a financial and economic abyss. The magnification of credit...
Weekly Market Update
Market Action The MSCI World benchmark of large and mid-cap stocks reached a new all-time high on Wednesday amid gains in most Asian and European markets. Japan’s Nikkei advanced to its highest level since 1996, and European shares reached four-month highs this week....
Growth Forecasts and Policy Uncertainty: Implications for Portfolio Adjustments
A few days ago the IMF published its annual forecasts for developed and emerging economies. Five things are worth pointing out: First, when we review forecasts made for previous years it becomes obvious that the IMF is overestimating growth potential. Second,...
Weekly Market Update
Market Action Movement regarding the U.S. budget and tax reform helped propel the S&P 500 to an unusual 8 consecutive days of new high closings. On Friday, when the U.S. Department of Labor reported a loss of 33,000 jobs in September (blamed on Hurricanes Harvey...
Market Valuations and Devolution: Mythos, Madness, or an Allegory?
Over the course of the last few days, some important pieces were published on the valuation of equities and bonds. At the same time we observed independent referendums taking place in Spain and in Kurdistan. The latter could possibly be signs of a devolutionary...
Monthly Barometer’s Forward-Looking Monthly Review: An Interdisciplinary View of our Complex Global Economy
September 2017 There are no imminent signs that the global economic recovery is about to end. It is in fact accelerating: global growth should amount to 3.5% this year and 3.7% in 2018 (according to the OECD) – the fastest pace since 2011. The UK is the only...
Weekly Market Update
Market Action Spanish authorities have confiscated millions of voting papers in Catalonia and stationed additional police in the region ahead of Sunday's independence referendum, with the vote declared illegal by Madrid and Spain's constitutional court. Catalonia...
Market Implications of Forthcoming Central Banks’ Changing Policies: Liquidity & Recessionary Considerations
According to the Fed’s recent announcement, the US central bank will start shrinking its balance sheet shortly, while we are expecting it to raise short-term rates in December. At the same time, we are also expecting the central bank of England to also raise rates in...