Given the recent upside surprises in inflation, the market was somewhat relieved that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Powell made clear that the central bank is not considering raising rates. Powell only confirmed what we, and many others, had suspected: interest rate cuts are not that imminent anymore.

Thursday’s US GDP growth print revealed more inflationary pressures in the first quarter than expected. As such, the market now only expects the US Federal Reserve (Fed) to cut interest rates once or twice, in September and/or December.

First thing first, when we talk about small-cap equities (or small caps), it’s important to understand what “cap” refers to. Cap is short for capitalisation, which in turn is short for market capitalisation.

In the latest tit-for-tat exchange, Israel struck Iran last Friday in response to Iran’s strike on Israel the previous week. It’s possible that Israel’s limited response could end the round of direct clashes between the two countries, at least for the time being, given that both countries have described their actions as a specific operation in response to the actions from the other (the very definition of tit-for-tat), rather than as an attempt to escalate more generally.

The first few months of 2024 have come as somewhat of a surprise to investors. For example, US growth has stayed resilient, continuing to defy the odds of recession, so markets have had to reevaluate their expectations for the year. And we are no different. Investing is about finding the right balance between having conviction in your long-term strategy and being conscious of the opportunities in the short term.

Quintet Private Bank, headquartered in Luxembourg and operating across Europe and the UK, announced today the launch of the first in a series of multi-manager UCITS funds designed with BlackRock, the leading global asset manager.

The release of the March US consumer inflation data, which was hotter than expected, lead markets to rethink when the US Federal Reserve (Fed) would start cutting rates. Markets now expect the Fed will cut rates later and only twice this year.

Major equity indices fell last week, likely concerned by escalating tensions in the Middle East, which pushed oil prices above 90 US dollars per barrel for the first time since October 2023.

Living longer brings the prospect of exciting opportunities in retirement but making the most of them requires careful planning.

Quintet Private Bank, founded 75 years ago in Luxembourg and operating across Europe and the UK, announced today its positive 2023 financial results, including a full-year net profit of €46.9 million, up from €18.1 million in 2022.

After eight years in negative territory, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) lifted its key policy rate to 0-0.1% last week. It was an important move but widely expected, so markets carried on as usual.

Equity indices from the US to Japan and through Europe continue to make record highs week after week. Last week was no different, although some indices closed flat such as the US S&P 500. There’s a structural element to this rally, which we carry in our portfolios.

The way people think about money and investing has changed. Today, your kid’s favorite sneaker brand, in which you might be an investor, must not only produce cool shoes but also use eco-friendly materials and ensure fair wages. That's the ongoing transformation we are witnessing in sustainable finance.

It wasn’t obvious from the solid figures on job growth, but we’ve got more signs that the US labour market is indeed cooling. The unemployment rate rose to 3.9%, the highest reading since January 2022, while wage growth, job openings, and job quits slowed. This combination of data supported markets.

There were no big surprises from last week’s US inflation reading (the personal consumption expenditures index), which rose 0.3% from December to January or 2.4% year-on-year. This has left markets largely unperturbed as strong earnings and economic growth continue to drive sentiment upward. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq equity indices closed at record highs again, while US Treasury yields remained flat.

As the curtains rise on London Fashion Week, the world's fashionistas eagerly anticipate the unveiling of the latest trends destined to define autumn and winter 2024.

Despite some apprehension from markets early last week (Nvidia stock price fell by 10% before results were announced), Nvidia’s quarterly earnings did beat expectations once again.

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Last week, US inflation slowed less than expected. This caused equity and bond prices to fall and the US dollar to rise as markets quickly reevaluated their expectations of rate cuts from the US Federal Reserve (Fed).

In our 2024 Investment Outlook, released in December 2023, I mentioned the importance of building an investment strategy with multiple time horizons in mind. And, over the past two months, things have changed for the medium-term growth outlook. In January, the 2023 US growth figures came in better than expected, showing a resilience in the US economy that the market didn’t anticipate.