Dominic Sheridan
The coronavirus pandemic dominated headlines once again in 2021, with economies around the world bouncing back from recession. The rapid rollout of vaccines helped bolster investor confidence and markets were also buoyed by other positive developments, including economic stimulus measures, strong corporate earnings and rising consumer demand.
The spread of new variants has extended the end of the pandemic and delayed the return to normal, hampering the global economic recovery. While economies rebounded strongly after the slump, the surge in demand for goods led to widespread supply chain issues, causing inflation to rise.
The rollercoaster ride reminds us of some valuable lessons about investing that stand the test of time. Perhaps the most important of these is that patience and commitment tend to reward investors over the long term. It can be difficult to hold your nerve when markets are in freefall.
The last two years have been a reminder that the unexpected happens frequently, which is why it’s important to construct portfolios that can weather a broad range of different conditions. Within our discretionary portfolio service, we are able to adjust the exposures to different asset classes and geographies as the environment changes. We have put together this guide to explain what themes are likely to impact markets and influence our investment decisions over the coming months.
Dominic Sheridan Chief Executive Officer
