INSIGHTS

Gold miners have long been that awkward, unwelcome cousin at a family party, placed on the children’s table as far...

Whilst we all focus on the immediate challenges posed by Covid-19, companies, investors and Government must also begin to think...

Rob James, manager of the Merian Financials Contingent Capital Fund and financials analyst at Merian Global Investors considers how lessons...

An update for investors in the funds, covering the past few weeks of the Covid-19 crisis....

I wanted to give you an update on the Merian GEM portfolio in these unprecedented times....

From Brexit to the coronavirus pandemic – but what next? Richard Buxton, head of UK equities, and Dan Nickols, head...

Head of global asset allocation, John Ricciardi has seen his fair share of periods of elevated market volatility, having navigated...

China equity valuations are supportive, the country’s growth story is compelling and we would expect to see investors increasing their...

Investors can hold physical gold alone, or enjoy the beta benefits of broadening their reach.

The low-growth, strong-dollar cycle may be nearing an end.

The low-growth, strong-dollar cycle may be nearing an end.

China’s focus on consumer- and services-led GDP growth, along with additional economic stimulus and more open capital markets are all...

The fall in real interest rates, and a new loose monetary policy environment, is good news for the price of...

It’s time for international investors to consider China’s $14 trillion equity market as a standalone allocation....

Why searching for strong economic moats is a good way to find companies able to sustain profitability over many years...

Our investment process seeks to identify well-managed companies engaged in activities related to the production of gold and silver. ...

China’s vast economy, its emphasis on high-quality growth and recent policy reforms should generate good opportunities for investors....

A robust investment process should accept that higher volatility is normal, and that style bias must be overcome, argues Ian...

Chris Mahoney, assistant portfolio manager of the Merian Gold & Silver Fund, looks at the reasons behind the rising gold...

A robust investment process needs to accept that higher volatility in equity markets is normal, and unlikely to disappear anytime...

As the Nobel Laureate Milton Friedman famously said, “The major monetary metal in history is silver, not gold"...

The reasons behind the volatility in global equity markets over recent months, and how best to face it....

Analysing contingent convertible bonds, or CoCos, isn’t so different from other credit analyses

Because of their unique characteristics, CoCos offer potential benefits in different rate environments.

A ``CoCo’’ or contingent convertible bond is a newer kind of security issued by banks and insurance companies...

Merian Global Investors’ CoCo fund aims to be selective, choosing the highest quality and best value Cocos ...

India Prime Minister Narendra Modi’s biggest challenge as he starts a second term is boosting economic growth...

Presentation by Ian Heslop on European equities.

Is investor sentiment cautious? The rise in equities in 2019 has to a large extent been in defensive assets, argues...

Emerging markets bonds have got off to a strong start this year, but it is important to be selective....

Sterling corporate bonds may prove surprisingly resilient despite the uncertainty caused by Brexit.

Markets are driven by macroeconomic forces, but judging their direction is not always easy. Our head of fixed income shines...

What are the key themes influencing UK equities in 2019 in the small- mid- and large-cap sectors?...

Some of our leading fund managers are interviewed and give presentations on equity and bond markets, sharing their views on...

Recent news coverage of Santander’s “cocos” is bewildering, but nevertheless serves to underline the importance of identifying the strongest issuers...

Psychological research suggests that markets are not wholly efficient, but are swayed by behavioural biases.

With the UK poised between different Brexit outcomes, sterling corporate bonds arguably provide both a call option, and a put...

While the long-term outlook for China is good, investors should look closely at Chinese companies' return on equity (ROE)....

There are notable benefits of having actively-managed gold exposure.

Investors should re-engage with equity market neutral as an uncorrelated investment strategy able to enhance risk adjusted returns....

Three forces holding back emerging markets last year have largely abated, says Nick Payne, head of global emerging markets. ...

Gold as the world’s best apolitical form of money is well placed to benefit from any weakness in the petrodollar...

Behavioural or psychological biases such as herding can lead to market mispricing of equities.

Banks have been on a very long journey since the global financial crisis, which may mean that CoCos are more...

The US Federal Reserve’s change of course from hawkish to dovish has important implications for all asset classes, argues Mark...

CoCos (contingent convertible bonds) should be understood in the light of strengthening bank balance sheets over recent years. ...

In our inaugural video blog, entitled “The view from our global equities team,” Ian Heslop, head of global equities...

Richard Watts argues that after a difficult year for equities in 2018, many stocks have been oversold, enabling investors to...

Richard Buxton comments on the result of the meaningful vote on Theresa May’s Brexit deal, arguing that the chance of...

Dan Nickols, head of UK small and mid caps at Merian Global Investors, says it’s time to look beyond the...

The same data can often be interpreted in contradictory ways, and while this may be perplexing, it also offers distinct...

A discussion of the macroeconomic reasons behind market volatility, Brexit, quantitative tightening, and their effects on equities and bonds....

The effect of quantitative tightening on markets and the outlook for interest rates.

An introduction to CoCos and how investors should compare them to other asset classes.

There have been significant changes in how equity markets are behaving in 2018. How should investors position for this?...

Gold and silver: an overview, in just one minute.

Some of our leading fund managers share their thinking on volatility in markets this year and how investors should position...

Ned Naylor-Leyland looks at the runaway train that is “de-dollarisation.”

When markets get choppy, high-quality corporate credit can provide a relative safe haven for investors, explains Lloyd Harris....

Nick Payne explains how to look through market pricing to discern real value, and reveals some precious jewels....

After multi-decade trends in the bond market were finally breached in 2018, Mark Nash looks at what investors can expect...

There’s a new normal for banks 10 years after the global financial crisis, argues Rob James....

Nicholas Wall looks at the charts piquing his interest in 2019.

Delphine Arrighi argues that some of the countries which suffered most during 2018 may prove good value in the future...

Expect the Fed to follow the data and take the slower path to rate increases, while in Britain there are...

The tide might finally be close to turning for European small caps, but there’s still plenty of cause for optimism...

Putting Brexit to one side, the prevailing market backdrop suggests UK small cap investors still have plenty to be positive...

As Democrats gain control of the House, and Republicans increase their influence in the Senate amid a high voter turnout...

In the light of recent volatility across world equity markets, three of our leading fund managers offer their interpretations and...

Why investment is best undertaken by a systematic approach and by looking carefully at the data, says Ian Heslop of...

Nick Payne, head of global emerging markets, examines the reasons behind the current volatility in emerging markets and what this...

As the US and eurozone central banks begin unwinding their unconventional monetary policies – involving purchasing unprecedented amounts of bonds...

It is an age-old conundrum for investors. Should value stocks – shares that typically trade at lower prices relative to...

The market turbulence caused by political upheaval in Italy revealed cracks in the eurozone that had been papered over by...

Is the indiscriminate selloff seen in emerging markets in recent weeks really a replay of 2013’s ‘taper tantrum’ or a...

Ned Naylor-Leyland, manager of the Old Mutual Gold & Silver Fund, reminds investors that as long as real US interest...

Emerging market debt went through a long overdue correction in February, but the overall macro story remains very supportive of...

Nick Payne looks at the reasons behind the profits recovery in emerging market equities and asks, ‘is it sustainable?...

Spring is in the air. Wakened from their cosy lethargy of the long winter months, Mother Nature’s ‘green shoots’ are...

All is not quiet in equity markets, and investors need to be aware of hidden risks. ...

The sharp correction in equity markets in early February 2018 has reignited the debate over what moves markets: rational economics...

In this note, the manager looksat correlations between globalequities, and gold and goldequities, during five periods of sharpstock market falls...

Liam Nunn, manager of the Old Mutual European Equity (ex UK) Fund, looks at the rise of bitcoin, the zeal...

Resist it or embrace it, the age of technological innovation is upon us.

The list of reasons for being optimistic on emerging markets just got longer.

After a number of false starts, major central banks appear finally to be in the process of scaling back the...

Everywhere you look, young companies are disrupting markets long dominated by incumbency.

The optimism pervading stock markets over the summer months would suggest investors, for the moment at least, believe tapering is...

We chart the growth of CoCos from the aftermath of the global financial crisis to today. ...

Over the last 12 months I’ve heard this phrase in conversations with colleagues and investors more times than I care...

The Trump administration is being thwarted from advancing its agenda while global growth remains solid, says John Peta, head of...

It has now been 10 years since the Bank of England (BoE) last hiked interest rates, the longest pause in...

Has there ever been a fall from grace as dramatic as that of Theresa May and the Conservative Party?...

“Awareness of one’s own qualms, attention to contradiction, acceptance of the possibility of error: these strike me as signs of...

Shopping for anything that is in short supply is frustrating. In the world of savings, where interest rates are at...

The human brain is incredibly adept at identifying patterns. It’s what allows us to prove we’re ‘not a robot’ when...

A powerful cocktail of economic headwinds, disparities in income between rich and poor, polarisation in beliefs and sporadic ‘lone wolf’...

At the time of writing, the yield on the 10-year US government bond (at just over 2%) almost matches that...

US dollar-denominated emerging market debt has enjoyed a strong 2017 so far, with the JPM EMBI Global Index returning about...

Most of us had become familiar with Theresa May’s distinctive prime ministerial style in the nearly 10 months she’d been...

Investment style is one of the most important considerations both when understanding the dynamics of equity markets, and when assessing...

In investment, over-confidence about our ability to forecast events can be a pitfall.

After the great financial crisis of 2008, the US economy evolved through both remedial and recovery phases, and is now...

History doesn’t repeat, but it heaves with echoes and rhythms. Market commentators spend their days rootling through history to draw...

Europe’s dog days look to be over. After years of relative stagnation, the backdrop for European equity investors is now...

For years markets have been operating under a benign form of bondage to central bank policy and technical factors. ...

Having notched up eight successive years of gains since the dark days of spring 2009, stock markets continue to flirt...

The US Federal Reserve (Fed) has just raised interest rates for the third time in a decade, in a significant...

Emerging market debt investors are used to quick reversals of sentiment towards the asset class even as longer-term trends suggest...

Global stock market euphoria at the prospect of a good old-fashioned dollop of inflation coming back into the system, almost...

What will occupy front and centre stage in the first hundred days of Trump’s presidency is his focus on tax...

Predictions of recent elections have been wide of the mark, and delving into the reasons why can teach us lessons...

Sometimes politics influences economic factors, sometimes it does not. Former President Ronald Reagan was a great champion of supply-side economics...

The cross-currency basis may be one of the most poorly understood concepts in financial markets.

After the Brexit vote and US election, one might have expected the latest kick delivered by the electorate of an...

Having so completely misjudged the result of the UK's EU membership referendum, it will no doubt be easy for readers...

Mario Draghi rattled fixed-income markets last month when the European Central Bank (ECB) president hinted at the eventual unwinding of...

The result of the US presidential election, like that of the UK referendum on the EU, went against the predictions...

After all the twists and turns of the most acrimonious US presidential campaign in living memory, the electorate has chosen...

A campaign which has 'divided the country', brought out the worst in people and played deeply on ingrained suspicion of...

The world of banking can be complicated to understand, with peculiar language and impenetrable accounting concepts. ...

We have reached an important milestone for the mechanics of short-term US dollar interest rates, with the passing of the...

The US equity market has thus far in 2016 been notable for a significant divergence between economic fundamentals and investor...

The clamour for better economic governance across a number of countries is another reason to like emerging market debt, says...

There is currently a mismatch between the strong performance of US equities and increased pessimism among investors. ...

The opportunity set, both on the long and short side, is as compelling as it has ever been, explains Tim...

No one would argue with the fact that, as investors, we live in uncertain times. Heightened geopolitical tensions and growing...

An important positive contributor to the fund’s performance over the past month has been our paid fixed positions in interest...

Last week’s UK referendum result took much of the market by surprise, as shown by the sharp drop in sterling...

The havoc wrought by the `Brexit’ vote in the UK last week left no corner of so-called risky assets untouched...

Asian markets may outperform following the UK referendum on EU membership, which has created buying opportunities...

The result of the eu referendum has brought into sharp focus gold’s continuing value as insurance against the risks of...

The UK has voted to leave the European Union. As the initial reaction in financial markets has shown, there is...

Mario Draghi rattled fixed-income markets last month when the European Central Bank (ECB) president hinted at the eventual unwinding of...

Why European smaller companies? Investors are typically attracted to smaller companies as an asset class on account of the fact...

Mario Draghi rattled fixed-income markets last month when the European Central Bank (ECB) president hinted at the eventual unwinding of...

In December of last year an important document, produced by officials at the Bank of England, was published. In essence...

'We’re going to IKEA,’ my wife announced sternly. I’d been living in fear of these words ever since we...

Examining how US equity funds capture up and down markets, and their style consistency, can help in uncovering those able...

It has been a harsh start to 2016, but the pain is likely to be front-end loaded rather than persist...

Investors should look beyond the bull-bear tug of war that’s dominating US equity headlines and focus on the economy’s long-term...