Slow food for thought

Insights and research on global events shaping the markets

Key takeaways: • After a strong first half of the year, the market’s mood has shifted in August with both US and International equities taking what still looks like a healthy pause. China’s growth issues and the rise of bond yields in the US have been the main triggers for profit taking. • We remain neutral on equities, rates and credit. We are turning negative on EUR and CHF against USD. We are downgrading China & EM Asia equities to neutral and are upgrading US equities to positive. • We continue to favour 3 main investment strategies: 1) Diversify into the lagging segments of the equity market that carry lower valuations; 2) Use volatility to our own advantage by buying on pullbacks; and 3) Use the bear steepening of the curve to extend duration within fixed-income portfolios.

The two "sister republics" (the United States and Switzerland) have in turn drawn inspiration from each other's constitutions. A mimicry that has no place when it comes to fiscal responsibility and indebtedness.

Mattel's Barbie influencer marketing campaign is a huge success. Here are 7 lessons to ponder.

AI, lifelong learning, hybrid work, Gig Economy, well-being, ESG, etc. Here are 10 key themes that are shaking up the daily lives of employees and companies alike.

An opportunity or a threat? The US Treasuries market presents both challenges and opportunities for investors. Focusing on the belly of the yield curve offers attractive entry points with historically high real yields.

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08/08/2023

At the end of last month, OpenAI’s founder Sam Altman launched Worldcoin (WLD), a new cryptocurrency with an identity verification system based on the human iris. His ambition: to make the global economy more accessible.

"Embedded finance" is gradually establishing itself as a major, innovative trend. What is Embedded Finance ? What are the benefits and threats for companies, financial institutions and end users?

Key takeaways: • Developed economies continue to surprise positively. Inflation is cooling down and a soft landing now looks like a plausible outcome. This has led to a new acronym (courtesy of Goldman): the “Recession In Name Only” (R.I.N.O) • Our current positioning is neutral on equities, rates and credit. We remain negative on the dollar and positive on gold. • After a strong first half of the year, we see opportunities to: 1. Use volatility to our advantage (add to risk assets during market pullbacks); 2. Diversify into the lagging segments of the equity market that carry lower valuations and; 3. Extend duration within fixed-income portfolios

Here are a handful of relatively simple principles and formulas that can be particularly useful when growing and managing your savings.

Despite financial crises, pandemics and geopolitical tensions, the luxury goods market has performed remarkably well over the last 15 years.

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