Stock Take US equities continued to fall last week, as ongoing policy uncertainty and tariff threats hampered market confidence. US equities had initially surged following Trump’s election in late 2024, as investors hoped the returning President would reduce regulation and taxes, boosting growth. However, since mid-February, these gains have been more than reversed. A fear…

Stock Take European defence companies performed well last week, after a meeting between Ukrainian president Volodymyr Zelenskyy and US president Donald Trump turned sour. In the aftermath of the talks, several European leaders called for a stronger defence policy and one that’s more independent of the US. This led to share price spikes for European…

Stock Take German equities opened the week higher following election results that helped ease some political uncertainty over the weekend. Friedrich Merz’s conservatives emerged as the biggest party, positioning Merz to become the next chancellor. It was also a strong night for the far-right Alternative for Germany (AfD), which won a record number of seats,…

Stock Take The British government received a small boost last Thursday after it was revealed the UK economy grew by 0.1% over the three months to December. While this small level of growth would usually not be particularly exciting, it was notably ahead of expectations, which were for a 0.1% fall. Growth was spurred by…

Stock Take A fall in interest rates and record highs for the FTSE 100 meant last week was a positive one for UK investors, despite wider gloom around the economy. UK GDP figures for December are due to be released later this week and expected to show weak growth at best, as the economy has…

Stock Take  Donald Trump returned to the White House last week, announcing a raft of executive orders shortly after taking power. These ranged from declassifying files related to the assassination of JFK, through to rolling back diversity, equity, and inclusion initiatives. For many market commentators, though, his attitude towards tariffs took centre stage. Trump made…

Stock Take Last week was a good week for investors, with most major markets posting positive numbers. This included the FTSE 100, which grew 3.1%, as it reached record highs. A number of factors supported this rise, including a slight fall in December’s UK inflation numbers. Although a drop from 2.6% to 2.5% may not…

Stock Take Persistent fears around inflation and the pace of interest rates changes pushed up government borrowing costs last week, hitting multi decade highs in the UK. Global bond yields have been rising since September last year, when the US Federal Reserve began cutting interest rates. Since then, inflation has proven more resilient than many…

Stock Take Last year, over half the world’s population voted in an election and, in many cases, voted for change. Commenting on the last 12 months, Hetal Mehta, Head of Economic Research, said: “In a year peppered with many notable elections, the global economy was marked by heightened economic uncertainty in 2024. Despite concerns at…

Stock Take French President Macron will be hoping not to find any unexpected political crises under the Christmas tree after he named François Bayrou as his new Prime Minister. Bayrou, who is generally considered a centrist in French politics, replaced Michel Barnier, who recently resigned after losing a no confidence vote. Barnier had only been…