Compared to the rest of 2020, July proved almost uneventful as global capital markets consolidated strong gains made during the previous quarter, with only emerging market equities and gold delivering notable advancements (see returns table further below). At the other end of the scale, poor returns from Japanese and UK equities confirms the trend of…
As July ends with stifling temperatures, thoughts can turn to the month ahead. August capital markets can be either quiet or decidedly choppy. As investors go on their summer holidays, daily trade volumes decline and liquidity drops out of the market – meaning even small buying or selling pressures can have outsized effects. Of course,…
European Union (EU) leaders never let a crisis ruin a good argument. With the global pandemic forcing Europe’s economy into its worse slump since the second world war, EU heads of state butted heads during a tense Brussels summit, for four days and four nights. Their aim was to agree terms on a coordinated spending…