With the end of 2017 near, the leaders of our investment platforms gathered to talk about the evolution of the investment environment over the past 12 months and what they expect for 2018. Joseph V. Amato (President and Chief Investment Officer, Equities – Neuberger Berman) : The optimism of the… Read More »
Mario Draghi’s stance is guarded. His latest press conference gave no indication of the change in communication tone that we are set to see from the European Central Bank in January. The ECB is finally taking on board the strength of the economic cycle and so its communication stance must… Read More »
Major equity markets rallied sharply in 2017 as early-year expectations of protectionist policies never materialised while commodity prices and global trade dynamics recovered. This fading protectionism has augured well for emerging markets, particularly Asia and its major export-driven economies that participate in global supply chains. Asian markets have been supported… Read More »
Subordinated debt offers an attractive balance between risk and return, and a range of positive characteristics, namely attractive yield, IG credit quality of issuers, liquidity, and the ability to absorb the impact of interest rate increases. Nomadism, originating from the Greek word “nomás” meaning roaming about for pasture is by… Read More »
The latest labour market data are in line with our baseline scenario, which foresees continuous, solid economic growth while wage pressures are likely to rise. Workers’ earnings, in the context of an overall economy which is close to full employment, are likely to strengthen further in the future, not stopping… Read More »
As 2018 starts, the scene is set for a positive year for equities. Across Europe, there are clear indicators of continuing economic growth after a very strong 2017. Eurozone jobs growth and manufacturing orders reached 17-year highs in November 2017, according to data from the Purchasing Managers’ Index (PMI). This… Read More »
The economy is expanding, equities are at new highs and markets appear calm. What is there to worry about? Geopolitical risks are ticking up, according to our BlackRock Geopolitical Risk Indicator (BGRI). But this isn’t automatically bad news for markets. The BGRI gauges the degree of financial market concern about… Read More »
The year ahead gives us a number of reasons to be optimistic that I would like to share with you. World trade has taken an upturn, oil prices remain reasonable, and business leaders worldwide have a positive take on their environment. So the starting point for 2018 is solid. Growth,… Read More »
Standard & Poor’s Financial Services -
New Year 2018 sweeps in profound changes to financial markets in Europe with the implementation of the second act of the EU’s Markets in Financial Instruments Directive, referred to as MiFID II, and its accompanying regulation, MiFIR. Initially proposed in 2011, the new rules will subject all businesses involved in… Read More »
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