Equity investors enjoyed the spring sunshine this week. The S&P 500 was up 1.4% by Thursday’s close. The FTSE 100 and the FTSE World Europe ex UK indices gained 1.0% and 1.2%, respectively.

Many would say that high street retailing is dead. The reality is that no high streets have truly perished and very few will be completely wiped out. Yet many are undoubtedly shadows of their former selves, most will never be the same again, and relatively few could be considered in fine fettle.

Central government finances and fiscal policy often receive most of the attention, but for many countries, especially emerging markets (EM), local government spending far outweighs the central government.

Ongoing economic strength and tax reform are fuelling corporate profits in the US for companies large and small. Meanwhile, wage growth and rising input costs are putting pressure on margins.

It looks like 2018 is off to a solid start in the Eurozone. After the strong industrial production print for December 2017, growing 5.2% year-on-year, PMI data this week continued to register high levels of growth in the manufacturing sector.

The UK economy continues to show something of a split personality. In manufacturing, conditions look robust, with output having grown by some 5.1% over the past six months in annualised terms.

The minutes from the Federal Reserve’s January meeting helped push the yield on the 10-year US Treasury to just shy of 3%.

Finally, some good news on UK productivity growth. An expansion of 0.8% in 2017 Q4, coming on the back of a 0.9% pick-up in the previous quarter, topped the strongest six-month growth period since before the Global Financial Crisis (GFC). It has been a long time coming. The UK has lagged its counterparts on productivity for decades, but has fallen further behind since the GFC. So is this a new dawn, or a false one? And why does it matter?

The developed Asian industrial cycle appears to have hit a soft patch, with activity moderating in the fourth quarter in key economies such as Korea, Taiwan and Singapore. An industrial wobble would be particularly untimely given expectations for a healthy developed market cycle lifting activity and driving investment across the region.

Investing in the right active strategy will be key as momentum for China’s V-shaped rebound moderates once the rest of the world recovers and Beijing normalises policy.

Flexibility, amenity, connectivity, technology and sustainability (FACTS) are key for future-fit offices. Read more about our views.

Explore multi-asset opportunities beyond the Magnificent Seven with MyFolio.

Can sustainability and performance go hand-in-hand in risk-targeted investing?

December 2020 marked the fifth anniversary of the Paris Climate Agreement. For all the promises made during the talks, countries have already fallen woefully behind on their commitments to limit global warming. But could the narrative be shifting? We take a close look.

Many people have heard of greenwashing. However, definitions and practices remain vague. We take a look at this phenomenon and ask what it means for investors.

In the first session of our Climate Action Series, we are joined by Nigel Topping, Climate Action Champion for COP26, and Sir Douglas Flint, the Chairman of Standard Life Aberdeen. In this discussion, they examine the current climate change risks and the pressing need for action in the race to net-zero. They also highlight the policy and sector changes that are needed to tackle climate change. Governments, businesses, investors and customers have a collective responsibility to achieve net-zero emissions by 2050.

This week Will Goodhart, erstwhile journalist and now Chief Executive of the UK’s CFA, talks us through his fascinating responsible investment journey. This includes the CFA’s work to help investors understand ESG to the urgent need to view climate change from an investment perspective. He also discusses the exciting work he’s doing as part of the Impact Investing Institute.

The whole world is feeling the effects of Covid-19 and will do so for some time to come. But just as the coronavirus cripples some immune systems, and leaves others unscathed, the financial impact of containment measures will leave some better off and others destitute.