Knowledge and Insight - Economy

Sometimes polls are right and sometimes polls are wrong. Last week, we saw classic examples of both.

Rathbones' co-chief investment officer, Edward Smith and head of asset allocation, Oliver Jones discuss the key themes shaping the investment outlook and some of the principles of long-term investing through the lens of UK equities.

The right-wing Rassemblement National was the big winner in the first round of French elections, but the most conclusive vote comes this weekend. Before then, the UK votes on its own Parliament.

The first few years of the 2020s have been characterised by huge shocks to the global economy – from the pandemic to the Ukraine war. When the dust settles, we think the global economy will have changed in significant ways, and the investment strategies that fared best over the past decade  won’t be the ones that serve us best for the next one. If the 2010s are gone for good, we’ll need a different approach.

A widely expected change of government may bolster UK sentiment, while the US election is on a knife’s edge.

France goes to the polls for the first round of voting, the two candidates for the White House spar and the Euro knockout phase begins.

It may feel like déjà vu as equity performance is again concentrated in a few big names, but in his latest video update, Rathbones co-CIO Ed Smith discusses how positive earnings surprises are spreading more widely and why this is good news for active investors.

The US Federal Reserve rows back on the potential for interest rate cuts even as inflation improves. Meanwhile, the French election also reverberates through bond markets.

The year of the election is already providing warning signs to expect the unexpected. Even when outcomes aren’t a huge surprise, painful (if temporary) pitfalls may lie ahead.

There are plenty of promising companies under the radar aside from the most celebrated names – on both sides of the Atlantic.

Uncomfortable weather hangs over the UK and its markets as everyone waits for a sign of summer.

With the UK heading to the polls sooner than expected, the government announces policies that resonate with older voters. Meanwhile, disappointing inflation may have kiboshed a summer rate cut.

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