No Deal Brexit: Project Fear or Simple Facts?

16 December 2018 Following the Brexit debate often reminds me of cartoon characters who, prior to proceeding to their destination, frantically spin their wheels without actually moving. Such has been the case for much of 2018. After the Parliamentary drama of the past few weeks, however, issues have become clearer and options have narrowed. In [...]

2019 Strategy: Turning (Even More) Defensive!

4 December 2018 Enjoy my 2019 Strategy Podcast.  The broadcast complements and updates my September blog entitled "2019 Strategy: Turning (Even More) Defensive!" Also look at previous blogs on various country assessments and policy issues -- all found in the Archive of Recent Blogs.

Europe: Slipping Towards Recession?

25 November 2018 The European economy surged between mid-2016 and the end of last year -- expanding at an impressive 3% annual clip during this interval. This year has been quite a different story, as growth has consistently disappointed: indeed, GDP advanced a meagre 0.8% (annual rate) during the third quarter of 2018. There are [...]

China: Slowdown Just Beginning

25 October 2018 We all know China's economy is slowing. Indeed, markets and pundits agonise when GDP results fractionally dip below expectations, as highlighted by the spike in market volatility following the recent news  Chinese output advanced "only" 6.5% during Q2 2018 (compared to the 6.6% forecast). To be sure, such results seem disappointing, as [...]