Incredibly, another week has flown by – they say time goes faster as you get older and that certainly seems to be the case for me!
Over the last week, there has not been a huge amount to talk about in terms of what has been going on in the financial markets. They seem to be continuing their ability to absorb all news, good and bad alike and not to react very much either way. Whilst I am an optimist by nature, it does make me sceptical as I remain of the view, as do many of the Fund Managers we work with, that there are going to be plenty of “bumps in the road” before we have navigated away from the current crisis.
That having been said, the “breathing space” that this period has created is very useful to the Fund Managers as they reposition investments and prepare to take opportunities as they arise.
Speaking at length with two Fund Managers this morning, they are very much of the opinion that we are likely to see markets drop again over the course of the next 3 to 6 months but when a sustained recovery takes hold, we are then likely to see a sustained Bull Market run and consequently, they are quite excited about the opportunities that the “bumps in the road” create for them and their clients.
Before the Covid 19 issues manifested, all the focus in the UK was on preparations for Brexit and yet in the last 6 weeks, the B word has hardly been heard at all. From the scant news that there is available, it would seem that negotiations have commenced via video link but some of the exchanges have been somewhat curt and short, due to other concerns that are being dealt with. It may well be that views will become further entrenched as individual countries focus on their needs, which create the potential for either a “hard Brexit” if there is no agreement or perhaps more likely, an extension to the current transitional period which is due to end in December – time will tell of course, and we will have to wait and see what transpires.
Turning now to the virus, on Sunday, Boris Johnson informed the UK about the “roadmap” the UK will follow and yet it was lacking in much detail – and whilst more has been clarified since then, it is clear that the “common sense factor” is going to have to play a major part from hereon in!
I am sure we have all learned an awful lot over the last 2 months and I am equally certain that many people will be getting fed up with reading statistics and to a certain degree, listening to hot air, journalistic point scoring and political nonsense, all of which still manages to creep in.
However, I have been sent one very informative piece that I thought I would include a link to which talks about the real aspects of how the Coronavirus is spread and how to manage and minimise risk on a personal level. It is a long read and is fairly hard hitting, but it does aid the thinking process where common sense is going to be needed and we are all having to make individual judgement calls. If this is of interest to you, full details can be found here: –
https://erinbromage.wixsite.com/covid19/post/the-risks-know-them-avoid-them
As always, if you have any concerns or we can assist in any way, we would be pleased to hear from you and in any event, we will stay in touch.
With best wishes and stay safe.
Richard, Chris and Lesley