Our latest Investment Strategy Quarterly discusses the potential opportunities and challenges the new year may bring. With features broadly assessing the outlook for 2023, from an analysis of global developed markets to a search for context and opportunities against the backdrop of an economic slowdown. Read all this and more in Investment Strategy Quarterly: 2023 Outlook.
Financial markets continued their revival from the early summer lows through November as investors’ perceptions regarding the risks prevalent throughout 2022 diminished somewhat. That those risks had not disappeared completely was evidenced by violent protests breaking out across China at the end of the month in response to the new Chinese government’s apparent desire to persist with its aggressive “zero Covid” policy.
The line between Statements and Budgets has blurred in recent years. Chancellor Jeremy Hunt’s second major announcement was designated as an Autumn Statement, but it will have a greater financial impact than most Budgets. A broad range of tax increases and spending cuts ensures that will be the case, regardless of the Treasury branding.
Even those with the longest careers in the financial markets are struggling to remember a year quite as tumultuous as 2022 has proved to be. Military conflict in Ukraine and sabre-rattling over Taiwan have made headline news all year and served to intensify volatility across all international financial markets.
Are you ready for some football? Not American football, but global football—otherwise known as soccer! For the five billion spectators awaiting the start of the 2022 World Cup in Qatar this November, the sport is the epitome of speed and agility. But for the players on the 32 participating teams, it is so much more. The deceptively simple-seeming game requires years of training. It goes beyond the fundamentals of ball control to pitch awareness, anticipation, and making the right decisions under duress quickly.
Over the past few weeks, we have welcomed a new member to the team, Nahla, a 6-month-old miniature Dachshund. Nahla has been keeping us all company in the office on most Wednesdays, becoming an integral part of the team.
She fit straight into the team, providing some positivity throughout the week, and whilst there have been no chewed wires, there may have been an incident where she stole a sausage from Wayne’s lunch!
Nahla will be keeping us company most Wednesdays, so when you next come to our office, feel free to come and say hello.
What the Chancellor, Kwasi Kwarteng, presented to the House of Commons on Friday was definitively not a Budget; it was ‘The Growth Plan’. The sixth chancellor since 2016 was careful to avoid the B word, despite the huge sums of spending and borrowing that he announced – greater than in most, if not any, real Budgets, let alone mini-Budgets. When the Autumn Budget proper emerges – probably in November or December it is most unlikely to contain anywhere near such a wide range of radical and costly measures as were announced on 23 September.
Gary Ward, Head of Branch Financial Planning and Chairman of the Love Longridge business group shares the excitement building around the town for this years’ most talked about event: “We are delighted to be supporting this brilliant, new, fun event which is coming to Longridge in September.”
“Road closures are sorted, Kart applications have been received and the relevant teams are now busily building their perfect racing machines…. as well as choreographing dance routines to perform on the start platform!!”
“Why not see the action from close range? – volunteers are needed to help make the event run smoothly and we would love it if you would volunteer. There are all sorts of things you can do on the day, and you can volunteer as much time as you like. We will provide food and drink for everyone who helps us on the day…Go on! Be a part of the best event of the year!”
Wayne Hayhurst added: “If our involvement helps light the fire for other businesses and individuals to be involved that would be tremendous. The Soap Box Derby gives Longridge the opportunity to say to its residents and visitors, old and new, it’s not just a great place to live but has a real sense of community and purpose.”
See more pictures and details by following the link: lep.co.uk/whats-on/things-to-do/longridge-soap-box-derby
Ultimately, none of this would have been possible without the shear willpower of some amazing guys, our very own Gary Ward & Wayne Hayhurst.
Thank you. You should be incredibly proud of what you, the community, and the Love Longridge group have achieved. I think it’s time for a bit of well-earned R&R.
For the majority of the past decade or so, the western World lived in a low inflation environment.
Low-interest rates and central bank stimulus gave a boom in growth stocks and bonds, which lasted over a decade. We now live in a World characterised by soaring inflation driving cost of living crises.
In investing, it is dangerous to extrapolate the past to the future. I would ask all investors, are your portfolios prepared for the past decade or the coming one?
The hope is that inflation is only temporary, or ‘transitory’ as economists put it. An element will certainly be transitory as supply chains mend and basic material prices ease. However, it would be
remiss to ignore a number of factors that are likely to drive inflation and potentially stagflation throughout the next decade.
These elements have been a long time in the making. Inflationary pressure had been building for a
while, even before the pandemic. Re-openings followed by the Russian invasion of Ukraine were just
the spark that lit the explosion.
The outlook for Western economies is grim; central banks are being forced to raise interest rates, exacerbating the cost-of-living crises, and governments have little room to help, having blitzed more
than they could afford implementing lockdowns.
However, it is important to remember that it is always darkest before dawn, and it is when times are dark that opportunities can be purchased at a heavy discount. They must be bought with the future, not the past in mind, though.
A well-thought-out plan can not only help you work toward realistic goals, but also help you avoid costly mistakes.
Reach out to us today for professional, tailored advice so you can look ahead with
confidence.
Risk Warning: Opinions constitute our judgement as of this date and are subject to change without warning. With investing, your capital is at risk
Sarah Carlin, Head of Branch Client Services at the Ribble Valley branch reflects on our recent branch audit. “We help our clients to make critical decisions about their future by understanding them, their values, goals, and aspirations”.
“As a team, we strive to operate at the very best our ability, refining our processes and implementing new ones to continue to deliver a first-class service to our clients. As a result of our efforts to stay ahead of the curve, we’re delighted to announce that we achieved the highest score attainable in our recent internal audit”.
“It is testament to the team, our hard work, and our constant drive to be the best in the business”.
