News

In the post Brexit environment and with the next general election up to 3 years away, Phillip Hammond could, in his first budget, afford to disappoint those expecting the economy to receive a fiscal boost from new spending initiatives.

The circumspect tone of the 2017 budget seemed to blend with the caution most commentators express regarding the prospects for the UK economy. The absence of clear exit terms as the UK transitions away from EU membership into an unknown and uncertain trading entity, make his caution understandable. Perhaps he is also frustrated by the lack of a clear post Brexit agenda.

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The backdrop to this edition is one of all change. Changes at Holden & Partners, on political stages and in investment markets.

In the face of change, there is no shortage of material on which to inform and provide commentary. The newsletter containing a diversity of articles from Brexit, through to new technology at Holden & Partners.

We hope you will find plenty of interest and please if you are minded, provide us with your feedback.

Download the Issue 15 – March 2017 newsletter.

Implications for Investors

Prior to the EU referendum result, investors had witnessed an extremely volatile environment in the first half of 2016, attributable to a complex array of factors. Global equities retreated significantly in February due to concerns surrounding a slowdown in global growth, exacerbated by the weakness in Chinese economic data and Yuan devaluation, as well as a persistently low oil price, which markets seemed to interpret as a sign of scant consumer demand. All of this took place against a backdrop of rising US interest rates, which resulted in an unlikely scenario of monetary tightening in the world’s largest economy, with the remainder of the globe struggling to generate meaningful growth of any sort. Risk aversion and volatility reached near-term highs, although this now pales into insignificance when compared to the instability created by the Brexit vote in the final weeks of June, particularly for UK investors.

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In the latest edition, Jack Rawcliffe looks at the implications of a UK exit from the EU, Stefani Rogers reviews the dividend tax regime, Amelia Sexton discusses the impact of the UN Paris agreement, Neil Sargeant looks at the latest round of proposed changes to pensions and Aram Kupelian considers how the new inheritance tax regime will work. Finally, Reece Biggadike evaluates end of tax year planning opportunities.

Download the Issue 14 March 2016 newsletter.