February 2020 – The turn of the year may have ushered in a new decade, but it has not brought about any alteration in the investment environment. From the global economic perspective, the glass remains half full, but no fuller than that. One positive aspect is the continuation of consumer spending growth on all continents. By contrast, the glass looks half empty where the dynamism of industrial activity is concerned.

February 2020 – The spread of the coronavirus that originated in China is dominating the headlines. Although equity markets have improved, its impact should not be underestimated. While China‘s economy and stock market have bounced back from reverses in 2003, a comparison with SARS 17 years ago is hardly valid, as China is now around four times as important to the global economy as it was back then. 

January 2019 - The turbulent performance of Bitcoin over the last year has brought this cryptocurrency to the attention of the wider public. But this currency has actually been around for almost ten years, and an estimated 1,600 other alternative currencies have also sprung up in the meantime. The question is often asked whether these constructs – which only exist in the form of digital code – can really be considered currencies at all in a way that bears comparison with the dollar, euro or yen. We will return to this question later in this article. First of all it is worth establishing what actually lies behind cryptocurrencies such as Bitcoin, Ether and Ripple.