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‘Vegan-curiosity’ has been growing in popularity in recent years, and not just amongst celebrities. Since 2014, going vegan for January, dubbed Veganuary, has led to more than one million people in 192 countries trying veganism1 and there are an estimated 600,000 vegans today in the UK2. Overall UK sales of vegan foods have risen by 40%, from £582 million in …

July ends with sunshine and our summary of the global economic news. We’ve also been thinking about the benefits of circular economies… what goes around, comes around! Earnings season, when many publicly traded companies release their quarterly earnings reports, is underway, and the hot weather may not be enough to lift spirits. European stocks offered disappointing updates on both profits …

Following on from our “mini-budget” summary this morning, we consider the impact of the latest announcements. With the high street name Boots announcing a vast swathe of jobs cuts this week, UK unemployment continues to rise1. October will see the winding down of the furlough scheme, causing the concern that economic demand and consumption will not be enough to protect …

Highlights A £1,000 Job Retention Bonus will be introduced when the Coronavirus Job Retention Scheme ends for employees who have been furloughed. A new Kickstart Scheme will cover employers’ costs for new six-month work placements for trainees aged 16-24. A £1,000 payment will be made to employers for each 16-24-year-old on work placement and training. Employers who hire new apprentices …

Retail spending is down, but kindness is up. Our weekly update takes a look at the latest economic data as well as Mental Health Awareness Week. The week began with much of the financial press discussing the biggest ever drop in retail spending in the US, with revenue at stores and restaurants falling by a larger than expected 16% in …

Microfinance – does it work? As the world struggles to find a ‘new normal’ for our financial systems, we take a look at an approach that has had some success, as well as some controversy. ‘Give a man a fish and he will eat for a day. Teach a man how to fish and you feed him for a lifetime.’ …

In this week’s update, we examine the impact of COVID-19 on employment and global trade. The US economy has shed 36 million jobs in just eight weeks1 with almost three million more Americans filing for unemployment benefits in the last week alone. Meanwhile, Goldman Sachs warns that unemployment could reach 25% in the US this year2, potentially equalling the peak …

In our weekly update, we explore the importance of ethical and sustainable investment. As the new norm for all of us sets in, it is hard not to gaze out of the window and dream of ‘the good times’. These good times were just a few weeks ago, yet it shows you just how much things have changed in such …

Another week and the thesaurus is starting to run dry of synonyms to explain how unique the current global situation is. The UK now joins other countries around the world putting its citizens on lockdown, central banks across the globe have promised an unlimited supply of money and the USA now has the most number of reported cases of COVID-19 …

Our latest update focuses on exposure to commercial property. As we approach the close of another week of the coronavirus crisis, we are continuing to monitor the commercial property exposure within your portfolios. The critical information at this stage is that both Janus Henderson UK Property and Aberdeen Standard UK Real Estate investment funds have suspended trading1. The underlying cause …

China is a place of extremes. From crazy-busy megacities to rural isolation, it is home to almost a fifth of the world’s population.1 China’s economy is booming, second only in size to the US, and showing first-quarter growth of over 6%2 – more than double the UN predictions for the rest of the world.3 Growth like this doesn’t come without …

It’s that time of year again…the run-up to the tax year end on 5th April 2020 provides an opportunity to finalise your affairs for the 2019/20 tax year. The recent general election meant the usual Autumn budget was deferred from October and is now scheduled to take place on 11th March 2020. We will of course write separately covering any …