Since COVID-19-related lockdowns became widespread globally in Q1 2020, bottlenecks have developed in various supply chains, including most commodity markets, to varying degrees.
Global trade represents approximately 30% of global GDP. The world’s economic performance, especially global industrial production, is closely linked to the performance of global trade.
The gradual lifting of Covid-19-related restrictions has shifted the focus to economic recovery in all its forms.
When we look back on 2020’s headline market return in years
to come, it will tell us very little about this extraordinary year.
The structure of market drawdowns is an interesting concept to inform
investment decisions. This is particularly relevant as we continue to grapple with the ongoing temporary slowdowns in economic activity worldwide and protracted market uncertainty.
The South African economy has gone through a difficult time in the last couple of years. It has experienced rising unemployment, persistently low economic growth, rampant corruption, a systematically weakening fiscal position, and a clear lack of policy direction.
If you’re investing for the long term, remember to keep your long term in focus.
‘Staying home’ in 2020 has seen online shopping increase further, entrenching behaviours that may not have shifted before the pandemic.
2020 has been a year of extreme volatility, both emotionally and for financial markets.
Growth or value? The debate over which of these investment styles is superior has regained energy over the last year, especially in equity markets.
Apart from the human tragedy
associated with the spread of COVID-19, these measures forced the world economy into an unprecedented economic recession.
Long-term thematic investments are those that benefit from structural changes to the world in which we live. These themes tend to be long-lived and provide significant performance advantages over time, if correctly identified.
