Investors happy to see the back of 2011 December rounded off an exceptionally challenging year for investors. Various factors – political turmoil and civil unrest in the Middle East, Japan’s devastating earthquake and tsunami, a lack of political accord in the US over the country’s deficit and, perhaps above all, the eurozone’s sovereign debt crisis [...]

Central banks co-ordinate attempt to shore up markets Share prices experienced another month of marked volatility during November, characterised by mounting fears over Italy’s financial stability. In the US, the S&P 500 index fell 0.5% while, closer to home, the FTSE 100 index registered an overall loss of 0.7%. In Europe, the CAC 40 index [...]

Euro concerns weigh heavy on global markets Even though major markets were up significantly during October, the month was characterised by exceptional volatility across global indices. Investors remained jittery during the month amid intense speculation over the outlook for the eurozone and concerns the region’s leaders might not be able to reach an agreement over [...]

Global economy facing ‘dangerous new phase’ September proved another rough month for markets, amid mounting concerns about the state of the global economy and the possibility Greece might default on its loans. The FTSE 100 index fell 4.9% during September and 13.7% over the third quarter of 2011. In Europe, the German DAX and French [...]

August proves no holiday for investors August proved a tumultuous month for world markets, with many major share indices experiencing wild swings. Things started on an unsteady footing amid escalating concerns the US was in imminent danger of defaulting on its loan payments and, while its debt ceiling was eventually raised – narrowly averting a [...]

The sell-off in global risk assets over the last week has been both violent and unsettling and has demonstrated major concern over the European debt situation as well as the inability of the US to come up with effective policy measures to control the Federal deficit. Two things are apparent: ·         The US economy is [...]

We are taking steps to reduce risk. The markets are talking the world into a worse slowdown. Confidence is crucial to growth and economic recovery.  The twin problems of Euro and US debt began to spook the markets a little over a week ago.  Now we have to contend with falling asset values, weak banks [...]

Comment from 7IM CIO, Ros Price on the downturn in the market seen last week; The initial falls in the market were marked by the relatively low volumes of business – levels that are the norm for the time of year. Over the last few days however, volumes have risen quite dramatically and the market [...]

Twin debt crises weigh heavy on markets Global equity markets were unable to withstand the tide of poor economic news that came their way in July – most notably the political deadlock in the US on the country’s debt and yet another calamity in Greece. Both crises ultimately received the policy equivalent of a sticking [...]

Investors suffering as Greek crisis lurches on June proved a torrid month for many investors amid intensifying concerns over the possibility of Greece defaulting on its debt and the wider implications for the eurozone and the rest of the world.   Although share prices rallied towards the end of the month as investors became less preoccupied [...]