A Political Earthquake in France For over a decade, Marine Le Pen has been on a mission to reshape the image of her Rassemblement National (RN) party, distancing it from its far-right origins and positioning it as a serious contender in French politics. This week, she made a bold move that has sent shockwaves through […]
Is the Labour Government’s New Inheritance Tax Policy Driving People Away?
I was chatting with one of my best friends a few days ago. We discussed life in the United Kingdom and the recent changes made by the Labour government. While some of her (very) wealthy friends were critical of policies such as VAT on private school fees or the end of the non-dom regime, the […]
U.S. Inflation Hits Lowest Level in Over a Year
U.S. inflation slowed for its sixth consecutive months in December and fell to its lowest level in more than a year. This is a further sign that price pressures may have peaked and would justify a slowdown in rate hikes by the Federal Reserve. The Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the consumer price index […]
No end in sight for UK house prices?
Following the catastrophic “mini-budget” that caused interest rates to skyrocket on the few mortgages still on offer, UK house prices continue to follow a downward trend. Indeed, house prices have dropped for four consecutive months now. According to mortgage provider Halifax, average house prices fell 1.5% between November and December. The decline is not as […]
UK Government introduces “anti-strike” bill
I’m sitting in a coffee shop today and staring at London’s mostly deserted street. Yes, it is Friday and no one really goes to the office since Covid. However, even so, today is especially quiet as there are virtually no trains running and workers are therefore unable to commute to work. Nurses, rail workers, ambulance […]
Fed pushes back against “unwarranted” easing expectations
On December 14, 2022, the Fed hiked by another 50bps. More interestingly, markets are pricing a further tightening of market conditions. Expectations for the trajectory of Fed rates moves has shifted hawkishly since the December FOMC statement. It seems that markets have finally recalled to “not fight the Fed.” As some of you might remember, […]