AUTHOR
Alex Rankine
Now is a good time to buy Vietnamese stocks
Emerging markets
Now is a good time to buy Vietnamese stocks
Vietnam’s benchmark VN index has slid by 30% this year – but there is plenty of potential in Vietnamese stocks.
14 Oct 2022
China’s economy is heading for a sharp slowdown
Chinese economy
China’s economy is heading for a sharp slowdown
With a slowing property market, Covid lockdowns sapping growth and the CSI 300 stock index down by 22% this year, China’s economy is in trouble.
6 Oct 2022
The end of cheap money hits the markets
Stockmarkets
The end of cheap money hits the markets
Markets have swooned as central banks raise interest rates, leaving the era of cheap money behind.
28 Sep 2022
Investors are still in denial about inflation and interest rates
Global Economy
Investors are still in denial about inflation and interest rates
There are worrying signs that inflation is becoming embedded in the economy, but many investors are struggling to adjust to the new reality.
23 Sep 2022
Commodity prices are taking a breather
Commodities
Commodity prices are taking a breather
Commodity prices have fallen back after spiking early in the year. Iron ore is down 36% from its March peak, while copper has lost 20% since 1 January…
21 Sep 2022
Seoul attempts to close the “Korea discount” for stocks
Emerging markets
Seoul attempts to close the “Korea discount” for stocks
South Korean stocks suffer from the “Korea discount” – with the country still classified as an emerging market, investors are reluctant to pay a premi…
21 Sep 2022
The fallout from Europe’s energy crisis
Energy
The fallout from Europe’s energy crisis
The soaring price of gas could see the EU impose a cap on the price of electricity generated by nuclear and renewables, while signs of strain appear i…
14 Sep 2022
Japan's stockmarket gets a boost from the weak yen
Japan stockmarkets
Japan's stockmarket gets a boost from the weak yen
Japan’s stockmarket has outperformed so far this year, with corporate profits at their highest since 1954 and a weak yen inflating overseas earnings.
14 Sep 2022
Are we heading for a sterling crisis?
Currencies
Are we heading for a sterling crisis?
The pound sliding against the dollar and the euro is symbolic of the UK's economic weakness and a sign that overseas investors losing confidence in th…
7 Sep 2022
Brazilian stocks will bounce back in 2023
Emerging markets
Brazilian stocks will bounce back in 2023
Brazil's Ibovespa stockmarket index has fallen by 9% since it peaked in April. But with an election in 2023 and current president Jair Bolsonaro on co…
7 Sep 2022
What Jay Powell's Jackson Hole message means for markets
Inflation
What Jay Powell's Jackson Hole message means for markets
Jay Powell delivered a hawkish speech on inflation at last week's Jackson Hole meeting. Alex Rankine explains what his speech means for markets.
1 Sep 2022
Will the gas market keep inflating?
Energy
Will the gas market keep inflating?
Energy prices are exploding in value, and the European market has been particularly hit hard. Alex Rankine explains whether gas prices will still marc…
31 Aug 2022
Are stocks back in a bull market or is this just a bear market rally?
Stockmarkets
Are stocks back in a bull market or is this just a bear market rally?
The S&P 500 index gained 17% between its June lows and 16 August, while the Nasdaq Composite rose more than 20%. So are stocks back in a bull market o…
24 Aug 2022
European stocks are ignored and cheap – but possibly not for long
European stockmarkets
European stocks are ignored and cheap – but possibly not for long
European stocks are out of favour, with some analysts predicting their worst year since 2008. But the worst of the sell-off could be over, and Europea…
23 Aug 2022
US inflation may have peaked, but it remains a threat
US Economy
US inflation may have peaked, but it remains a threat
US inflation fell to 8.5% in July, down from 9.1% the previous month. But structural, not transitory, forces are pushing inflation higher. It could be…
17 Aug 2022
A turning point in economic history as globalisation comes to an end
Global Economy
A turning point in economic history as globalisation comes to an end
Nancy Pelosi’s visit to Taiwan could mark a turning point as Western firms swap low costs for resilience, moving away from China to more “friendly” c…
16 Aug 2022
Semiconductor shortage: industry heads for “supersize bust”
Global Economy
Semiconductor shortage: industry heads for “supersize bust”
The semiconductor shortage could soon become a semiconductor glut as demand for electronic gadgets falls while state subsidies could mean a surplus of…
16 Aug 2022
Is the Australian economy weakening?
Economy
Is the Australian economy weakening?
Tighter monetary policy is weighing on several parts of the Australian economy, but commodities is providing some respite. Alex Rankine reports.
13 Aug 2022
The Bank of England's gloomy forecast for inflation and the UK economy
Inflation
The Bank of England's gloomy forecast for inflation and the UK economy
The Bank of England has warned that inflation will peak around 13% this year and the UK will fall into recession. Alex Rankine reports.
10 Aug 2022
Why complacent Germany needs to get a grip
EU Economy
Why complacent Germany needs to get a grip
The gas-supply crisis is merely the most conspicuous sign of the complacency and drift besetting Europe’s largest economy. Germany’s national business…
5 Aug 2022
China’s property downturn deepens
Chinese economy
China’s property downturn deepens
Chinese house prices have fallen for ten months in a row, made worse by a residential “mortgage strike”.
3 Aug 2022
Enjoy the bear market rally while it lasts
Stockmarkets
Enjoy the bear market rally while it lasts
Investors seem to think that a weaker US economy will cool inflation and see the Fed relent on interest rate rises. But that optimism may be misplaced…
3 Aug 2022
Britain’s resilient blue chips – a refuge in the inflationary storm
UK stockmarkets
Britain’s resilient blue chips – a refuge in the inflationary storm
The UK's blue-chip FTSE 100 index has been the best-performing major stockmarket index so far this year.
3 Aug 2022
Will the euro crisis flare up again?
EU Economy
Will the euro crisis flare up again?
With Italy’s borrowing costs rising quickly, and inflation climbing, the European Central Bank has unveiled a new tool to help indebted states. Is it …
28 Jul 2022
Beware of cheap emerging markets
Emerging markets
Beware of cheap emerging markets
Emerging markets look cheap, but tread carefully – they tend to be highly cyclical and a global recession would weigh heavily on them.
27 Jul 2022
Who will follow Sri Lanka into a debt crisis?
Emerging markets
Who will follow Sri Lanka into a debt crisis?
Sri Lanka defaulted on its debt in May as soaring global food prices and a tourism slowdown collided with years of profligate state spending. Which c…
27 Jul 2022
Chinese stocks are cheap – but for good reasons
China stockmarkets
Chinese stocks are cheap – but for good reasons
Chinese stocks are trading at an “undeniably cheap” 11.9 times earnings. But they are cheap for good reasons, and this may not be the buying opportuni…
26 Jul 2022
Eurozone economy heads for paralysis
EU Economy
Eurozone economy heads for paralysis
Record high energy prices, the threat of recession in Germany and squabbling in Italy's government has left the eurozone fighting fires on all fronts.
20 Jul 2022
The junk-bond bubble bursts
Corporate bonds
The junk-bond bubble bursts
Yields in the US high-yield bond market (AKA junk bonds) have soared to more than 8% since the start of the year as prices collapse.
20 Jul 2022
An era of high inflation has arrived
Inflation
An era of high inflation has arrived
In recent weeks investors had started to bet on signs that inflation may be peaking – but we’re in a new economic age. Expect high inflation to be her…
20 Jul 2022
Base metal prices are in freefall – will growth follow?
Industrial metals
Base metal prices are in freefall – will growth follow?
The price of copper has fallen to its lowest level since November 2020, with aluminium, nickel and many other base metal prices in freefall, too.
13 Jul 2022
Investors dash into the US dollar
Currencies
Investors dash into the US dollar
The value of the US dollar has soared as investors pile in. The euro has hit parity, while the Japanese yen and the Swedish krona have fared even wors…
13 Jul 2022
The global property bubble bursts
Property
The global property bubble bursts
After a two-year long worldwide boom in house prices fuelled by ultra-low interest rates, central bankers are tightening monetary policy and the globa…
13 Jul 2022
Hong Kong’s crown slips as Singapore takes over
Asian economy
Hong Kong’s crown slips as Singapore takes over
As international sentiment sours on Hong Kong, other Asian financial hubs – primarily Singapore – are snapping up business.
6 Jul 2022
Price of gas soars as Moscow turns off the taps
Gas
Price of gas soars as Moscow turns off the taps
As Russia cuts its gas exports to the EU, the price of natural gas continues to rise. Restricted supplies could see energy rationing and recession i…
6 Jul 2022
Low growth and high inflation: a toxic cocktail for anxious markets
Stockmarkets
Low growth and high inflation: a toxic cocktail for anxious markets
Low growth, high inflation, central bank tightening, a strong dollar, and the risk of recession is proving a toxic cocktail for world stockmarkets – a…
6 Jul 2022