Slow food for thought

Insights and research on global events shaping the markets

Sluggish nuclear production, a gas market disrupted by the war in Ukraine and the unexpected effects of heat waves are sending European electricity prices into the stratosphere. How high can prices go? What are the consequences for the European economy?

Several factors seem to indicate that the euro may continue to depreciate against the franc, even though most of the bad news seems to be discounted already.

Since its June lows, the S&P 500 has rebounded more than 15%. Is this the beginning of a new bull market or an opportunity to further reduce portfolio risk?

Wall Street has its share of mysteries, not least the 'night effect', a market anomaly whereby money invested in US stocks works better at night than during the day.

As Prime Minister Boris Johnson gets ready to leave office, what is the outlook for the UK economy and financial assets?

With the dollar soaring and inflation rates reaching record levels, we may have entered a new era where countries seek to strengthen their currencies rather than weaken them.

For many green bond issuers, the only future lies in the sustainable economy. They are setting their sights on achieving the global net zero target for 2050 by 2040 or even earlier.

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12/07/2022

High inflation has precipitated a slowdown in developed economies’ growth, with Europe facing the highest risk of stagflation due to the ongoing energy crisis. Central banks face a dilemma of high inflation and slowing growth, but remain on the hawkish side for the time being. The ECB is probably facing the most complex situation. While fiscal intervention might come to the rescue in order to cushion the blow from rising energy prices, political uncertainty is high as we enter the second half of the year: US mid-term elections, shockwaves in Europe from the war in Ukraine and sanctions on Russia, elections in India and Brazil are likely to keep financial markets' volatility at high levels.

One man's loss is another man's gain. While petrol prices are skyrocketing, oil companies are generating nearly five times more profit from refining than a year ago. We offer an explanation.

The BOJ (Bank of Japan) will become the first central bank in history to hold more than 50% of its country's public debt securities. This is an unprecedented situation with some key risks attached to it.

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