Following a poor start to 2022, Asia high yield (HY) bonds have staged a notable recovery since mid-March. We have been holding a tactical overweight position against USD investment grade (IG) bonds. What are the main features of the Asia HY market and our outlook for the asset class?

We believe the war in Ukraine – which is first and foremost a humanitarian tragedy – will likely spur some countries and businesses to reduce long-term risks that have emerged from that conflict.

On 10 and 24 April, France will elect its new president at a crucial time – a war raging on the fringes of Europe. Emmanuel Macron looks set to be re-elected for a second term. Quintet explores the key implications for the economy and markets.

Today’s Spring Statement banks on the recent improvement in the public finances. Factoring in the Chancellor’s new spending measures, government debt is expected to fall to 79.8% of GDP by 2026-27. Borrowing is projected to be lower than previously forecast, too.

On average a 60 year old woman’s pension pot is only one third the value of a man’s the same age. Worrying isn’t it? There are myriad reasons why women aren’t saving enough for retirement; lower salaries, more part-time jobs, time out caring for children and family, lack of financial education, time and confidence.

When we invest in companies and funds, we’re committed to active ownership. It’s an approach that not only enhances the investment process but can also have a positive impact on people and the planet.

The theme of this year’s International Women’s Day campaign is Breaking the Bias – and for many this begins with financial education. We speak to Tamara Gillan, founder of the WealthiHer network, as well as Anne Halvorsen, director at Merck Finck, and Sandra Dailidyte, a director at Brown Shipley, on the cultural barriers to investing and transforming female finances.

Gold can be recycled with no degradation in quality. It can contribute to a circular economy and is an attractive proposition for sustainable investors.

Brown Shipley has appointed eight additional Client Advisors and a Managing Director, bolstering its presence in Norwich and Cambridge.

Russia’s escalation increases geopolitical uncertainty and market volatility. While this could further boost inflation and slow growth, especially in Europe via higher oil/gas prices, we believe it’s unlikely to trigger broad-based economic and earnings weakness globally.

As the post-pandemic recovery matures, corporate earnings are surprising by less but still exceeding forecasts. We are seeing a divergence in performance within sectors, but must be careful not to extrapolate short-term trends.

Brown Shipley, a Quintet Private Bank, has become the latest member to join The WealthiHer Network.

We see innovation continuing apace and even accelerating, despite high costs currently. We believe top innovators are likely to be long-term winners. We see the current weakness in ‘innovation equities’ as a buying opportunity.

Equity markets experiencing weakness Another week, another series of sharp market gyrations. Despite the anxiety many investors may be experiencing, we believe that concerns about the health of capital markets and the impact of rising interest rates are not justified.

A rough start to the year 2022 hasn’t started with the same market momentum we saw in 2021, driven by the combination of more hawkish central banks signalling an exit from emergency levels of stimulus, prospects of moderating economic growth and geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine. This has caused market volatility and performance losses across equity and bond markets, with limited asset classes (commodity prices being an exception) providing positive returns.

While we believe economic growth and stimulus should become less positive this year, inflation and the virus impact should become less negative too. We’re tactically overweight US equities and a range of credit exposures.

From food to financial investments, a small-scale ESG approach can have a big impact. We talk to Grantley Hall’s Michelin-star chef Shaun Rankin, Phil Harris, executive director at Brown Shipley and AJ Singh, Head of ESG & Sustainable Investing, to find out more.

Highly experienced banker promoted to leadership role at UK wealth manager, succeeding outgoing CEO Alan Mathewson

We answer 6 key questions you should be considering when planning for retirement.

Brown Shipley’s Wealth Management Director, Jeremy Croysdill and Senior Associate, Matthew Bryan-Harris have come together to present our latest Wealth Planning podcast: Retirement Planning.