When the novel Coronavirus (COVID-19) initially struck Wuhan, China in January 2020, most investors in Europe did not expect the disease to reach the continent. Yet here we are; a seemingly innocuous holiday stop in the French Alps by a Brit returning home from a conference in Singapore has morphed into a full-scale virus outbreak […]
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Investors in Europe: 2020 Coronavirus Update
Investors in Europe: 2020 Coronavirus Update
Lockdowns across Europe have resulted in unprecedented economic damage over the first half of 2020. Eurozone GDP fell 12% in the 2nd quarter of 2020 following a 4% contraction in Q1.
Investing in Europe in 2020 – The Year Ahead
An overview of some European key themes and political risks for 2020
2020 brings with it the 10th year of recovery since the global financial crisis. Equity markets continue to break records, ample credit is available, yet the bullish performance appears cosmetic at times and investing in Europe in 2020 is fraught with political risks. The US deficit doubled from $385bn to $779bn last year, the UK […]
Blood Moons, Animal Spirits and Hunting Knives
H2 2019 Europe Update
Investor trepidation towards Europe in today’s markets is understandable. Regional macro data remain anemic. Europe continues to produce weak data, Euro-Area economic sentiment saw its worst losing streak in a decade and low interest rates are set to continue throughout the medium term. Meanwhile, the Fed has raised rates nine times since December 2015, taking […]
Navigating Europe in 2019
Themes and Risks Investors in Europe to Consider in 2019
We are nearly 20 years into the new millennium and it is an unrecognizable place compared to when it started. Lehman is gone, Bear Stearns – gone, Merrill Lynch – acquired, Citigroup is a fraction of its former self. Blockbuster, Toys R Us, Woolworths are all part of the history books now. Europe, where we […]
Distressed Retail in the UK
If one ever needed tangible evidence of how much consumer habits have changed over the past decade, look no further than the UK high street. The litany of failures and restructurings continue unabated. In H1 2018 alone, the following establishments have issued announcements: Byron’s Burgers: Closing of 20 (or 30%) of its 67 premises while […]
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In Italy Elections, Salvini Coalition Fails to Take Tuscan Prize (New York Times)
“A center-right coalition led by Matteo Salvini, once Italy’s most powerful politician, won three key regions but fell short in Tuscany, where victory could have bolstered his comeback bid.” – by Gaia Pianigiani
What Investors With $3.4 Trillion Are Buying During Covid (Bloomberg)
“Hotels, pipelines, convenience stores and automaker bonds are among the assets being bought by some of the world’s biggest asset managers as they look for value in a world thrown into turmoil by the coronavirus pandemic.” – by David Ramli, Suzy Waite and Matthew Burgess
CVC is one of the main investors in Greece (Ekathimerini)
” CVC – whose background lies in US investment company Citicorp – will become one of the biggest foreign investors in the country, alongside PSP Investments, Eldorado Gold, Fraport and Cosco.” – by Ilias Bellos
ECB policymakers open to more stimulus, if needed (Reuters)
“ECB board member Isabel Schnabel argued that raising inflation will be key and failure to get price growth in the 19-country euro zone moving towards the ECB’s target could be the trigger for action.”
How the World’s Second Largest Asset Manager Voted (Institutional Investor)
“In 2020, Vanguard significantly increased its support for shareholder proposals on everything from diversity to climate change.” – by Julie Segal