Europe: Ukraine Invasion — A Year On

24 February 2023 The end of China's lockdown, signs global inflation is peaking, and the slower pace of US interest rate hikes have led investors to embrace the prospect of an economic "soft landing". Financial market optimism has been particularly evident in Europe. Indeed, collapsing natural gas prices have led to a 10% rally in [...]

Soft Landing: What Could Go Wrong?

5 February 2023 After a bruising 2022, global financial markets now have fully embraced the propect of a "soft landing" for the global economy. Even the IMF has revised up its 2023 GDP growth forecast following China's post-Covid opening, declining European natural gas prices, and signs that world-wide inflation may have peaked. In the United [...]

China: Population Decline = Growth Headwind

22 January 2023 In addition, China's shrinking population will continue to shape both the nation's long-term economic strategy, and the government's short-term policy focus. In particular, with inflation low, monetary and fiscal policy will need to remain stimulative. However, government spending priorities will need to be altered dramatically. This shift will not only support China's [...]

Brazil: Lula II — Firebrand or Pragmatist?

2 November 2022 Indeed, Brazil's election result was historic. Not only was former President Lula da Silva returned to power (by an unexpectedly narrow margin), but Jair Bolsonaro's defeat was the first by an incumbent since the country returned to democracy. Despite earlier threats to challenge the election outcome, President Bolsonaro and his supporters appear [...]