Stock Take The week that was The August bank-holiday is usually summer’s last hurrah, and signifies the turning of the seasons. The four-day week gently introduces us to September, which sees children return to school, autumnal weather, and increasingly darker days. But this year was far from gentle. For some, the holiday will have been…

Stock Take The bounce in US equities came to an end last week, as investors steeled themselves further interest hikes in the coming days. Many will be watching closely for clues as to how the Federal Reserve might continue its battle against inflation in the coming months. It dipped recently in the US as energy…

Stock Take Last week US equities experienced another positive period on the back of better-than-expected inflation figures. For the 12 months to the end of July, inflation stood at 8.5% – still high, but notably down from the 9.1% figure recorded by the US Labor Department for June. Core CPI (which removes food and energy…

Stock Take Last week the Bank of England (BoE) raised rates again, in what is proving to be one of the fastest tightening cycles in living memory, while warning it expects the UK to enter a recession before the end of the year. The 0.5% increase, which raised the central rate to 1.75%, was notably…

Last week, US equities experienced a strong bounce despite the Federal Reserve lifting interest rates and GDP data showing that the US economy contracted in Q2 – highlighting just how difficult it can be to predict market movements. The interest rate hike – the second in a row – came as no surprise, with the…

Stock Take Equities were generally positive last week, even as the European Central Bank (ECB) pushed through a 0.5% interest rate hike, its first upwards move in more than 11 years. The base rate, which has sat below zero since 2014, now stands at 0.00%, with further increases expected over the coming months as the…

Stock Take In Germany it’s called “Reise Nach Jerusalem”, a name thought to be inspired by the Crusades. Whether or not that’s true, the game of Musical Chairs to find Boris Johnson’s successor became increasingly bitter last week. By Thursday, there will be just two candidates and one chair remaining. Tax cut promises have been…

Stock Take The FTSE 100 market fell slightly last week, in a period dominated by political changes. UK Prime Minister Boris Johnson had been facing questions over his handling of former deputy chief whip Chris Pincher, who has faced a string of sexual misconduct accusations. The week started with UK Chancellor Rishi Sunak resigning from…

Stock Take As the second quarter of 2022 came to a close, US markets reported their worst half yearly performance since 1970, as rising inflation, higher interest rates, and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine created a challenging environment for investors. Over the first six months of the year, the S&P 500 fell almost 20%, while the…

Stock Take Markets rallied last week, as investors weighed the prospect of central banks turning more dovish to combat rising fears of a recession. So far, 2022 has been brutal for equity markets, as rising inflation and interest rates have caused a selloff in stocks, with the S&P 500 and NASDAQ shedding much of their…