As Spring (or what we had of it) comes to an end and we head for what we hope is the warm and sunny days of Summer, we also leave behind…the recession! Yes, perhaps the most under-reported recession of history is officially over. According to the Office for National Statistics (ONS), the first quarter brought the UK economy 0.6% growth making this one of the shortest and shallowest recessions we have experienced. The recovery so far has been extremely strong, with the economy reportedly growing at its fastest rate since 2021…long may it continue.
Whilst we celebrate the end of the recession, we can’t help but ponder how this is likely to impact the Bank of England (BoE) forecasts, and more importantly the Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) interest rate decisions. The BoE announced in early May that the MPC had decided to hold interest rates at 5.25% once again and delays to rate cuts are now widely predicted. However, even if rate cuts are delayed, popular opinion remains that we will be the ones to cut first and cut deeper than the Federal Reserve.
As if that wasn’t enough for wealth managers to contend with, the US and UK elections (as well as many others worldwide) will soon be upon us causing the usual ups and downs of uncertainty. We’ll continue to keep you updated with all the long reads, analysis, news, and views online in between editions of Wealth DFM at https://wealthdfm.com/category/featured-news/.
Surfing the digital sector
In this edition of Wealth DFM Magazine, we kick things off on page 5 with an exclusive interview focused on the major development in infrastructure investing. Matthew Norris, Director of Real Estate Securities at Gravis looks at why what may have worked yesterday is unlikely to continue to work in the future, and how the next generation of assets is where real opportunity lies for investors.
Speaking of the future, AI seems to be continuing to cause waves throughout the industry. But what impact is AI likely to have specifically on asset management? This is the question Daniele Grassi, CEO & Co Founder of Axyon AI seeks to answer in his analysis of the transformative impact of AI on page 8. If you want to know more about AI in action and what the future holds, then be sure to give it a read.
What’s making a splash?
If sustainability is your thing (and if it isn’t it should be!) then head to page 11 where Jessica Reed, Partner on the financial services team and Edward Twigger, Associate, at leading law firm Farrer & Co LLP give their professional insights on the new FCA anti-greenwashing rules which are due to come into force from 31st May this year.
To round things off for us this month we have Laith Khalaf, head of investment analysis at AJ Bell spilling the secrets of what funds and trusts have beaten Warren Buffet over the past 20 years. Widely considered to be one of the greatest investors of all time, you don’t want to miss this if you also want to beat Buffet.
We hope you enjoyed surfing the pages of this month’s edition! Be sure to keep up to date with all the latest news on www.WealthDFM.com whilst you wait for the next instalment.
Sue Whitbread
Editor | Wealth DFM Magazine
