6 February 2019 During these Winter months, my breakfast typically consists of a big, steaming bowl of porridge! As in the Goldilocks fairy tale, however, getting the recipe right requires some experimentation. Often the same is true of monetary policy decision-making. In search of a soft landing for the US economy -- neither too hot, [...]
23 January 2019 One of the unintended, albeit unsurprising, consequences of the current period of ultra-loose monetary conditions has been the extraordinary buildup in debt worldwide. The top Chart illustrates that during the previous business cycle global debt had remained stable at what seemed an elevated level of 80% of GDP. In the aftermath of [...]
30 September 2018 Brazil will go to the polls next weekend in perhaps the most wide-open, consequential election in its history. I will leave it to more clever pundits to predict the outcome (especially after Brexit and the US election results!). Rather, following recent volatility in emerging markets, I will outline the challenges the next [...]
19 September 2018 As analysts return from summer holidays, they tend to extend their earnings forecasts into the next year. In this spirit, I am casting my strategic gaze into 2019 as well. In order to set the stage, a brief review of our 2018 strategic themes may be helpful. In our December essay "Aging [...]