January isn’t over yet and volatility is already back!
After a strong start to the year in terms of the behaviour of risky assets, the month ended with a return of greater volatility.
Investors are keen to say goodbye to 2020, but left with a number of key questions.
Although the stock markets ultimately delivered a satisfactory performance in 2020, it is reasonable to think that last year will not be fondly remembered by most of us.
Euphoric mood on the markets as thoughts turn to life after COVID-19
November was a historic month for stock market performance, which saw double-digit growth (of around 13%) in the final fortnight. In hindsight, the market consolidation we saw in September and October seems like a bad dream.
Two factors drove equities’ return to favour: firstly…
Waiting has been pointless, and the feeling of déjà-vu cannot be ignored.
A writer faces many constraints when drafting a monthly newsletter. Political events are just one consideration, especially when the event in question occurs early on in the period.
The US election led us to delay…
Market turmoil returns as the US election approaches
Last month, we said that the easy part was over for the equity markets, after a sharp rally since March 2020.
This observation dovetailed with our intention to maintain a…
We’ve got through the easy part. Now what?
If we look back on the pessimism that prevailed in the spring, summer 2020 was full of surprises for both the economy and the financial markets. Many, often dismal, forecasts proved to be…
Consolidation in June in an “exceptional” quarter for equities!
In essence, the general situation has not changed over the past few weeks.
On the economic front, the signs of recovery remain in place, endorsing our view of…
Why common sense matters amid persistent uncertainty
After the largest contraction in several decades in March, stock markets – and the S&P 500 in particular – saw the sharpest jump since 1991 in April.
These erratic shifts indicate a prevailing sense of uncertainty that may leave international investors wondering how to cope with what is a historic crisis in many respects.
When panic takes hold of the markets, as it was the case in February and March, we can tend to…
