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21st century

Are we nearing the end of Yield Curve Control (YCC) in Japan?

September 20, 2022

Despite the Bank of Japan resolutely sticking to its policy of negative interest rates and yield curve control in 2022, might it about to change course asks Jamie Dannhauser of Ruffer LLP?

So far in 2022, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) has resolutely stuck to its policy of negative interest rates and yield curve control (YCC), despite the dramatic hawkish shift from the US Federal Reserve (the Fed) and, more recently, the yen’s nosedive. Might the BoJ be about to change course?

Mission Possible: Securing the future of food

August 22, 2022

This year, the global population surpassed eight billion people. The extraordinary population growth over the past century has relied upon, and been enabled by, the birth of vast industrial farming systems. Food, on aggregate, is plentiful. Yet today, the dual issues of food security and sustainability loom as large as they have done in the post-industrial era. These megatrends present sources of both investment risk and opportunity, says Harry Sevier of Ruffer LLP.

This year, the global population surpassed eight billion people.

The extraordinary population growth over the past century has relied upon, and been enabled by, the birth of vast industrial farming systems. Food, on aggregate, is plentiful. Yet today, the dual issues of food security and sustainability loom as large as they have done in the post-industrial era. These megatrends present sources of both investment risk and opportunity.

The tide of liquidity is turning faster than many investors anticipate

July 15, 2022

It is hard to overstate how far free and unlimited central bank liquidity has rewired the financial system. As central bankers extract themselves from the monetary rabbit hole they have burrowed their way into, the damage to traditional portfolios is likely to be considerable, says Jamie Dannhauser of Ruffer LLP.

This tightening of monetary policy is happening because inflation has returned – with a vengeance. Central banks are lifting short-term interest rates at a brisk pace. But there is an additional danger for liquidation-prone markets: quantitative tightening (QT).

Navigating a new world disorder

June 20, 2022

Investors face one of the most complex market environments in history, says Ruffer LLP investment director Alexander Chartres.

Investors face one of the most complex market environments in history.

Simultaneous shifts in the global energy system, geopolitics, demography, technology and much else besides promise a more inflation-prone and volatile world ahead. This brings with it elevated risks, but also potential rewards.

Amidst all the uncertainty, this presentation from Ruffer LLP Investment Director Alexander Chartres will examine what investors can have conviction about.

Building resilience for the gathering storm

April 4, 2022

China’s bid for global power, climate change and the transition away from fossil fuels are three of the defining megatrends of our time. Collectively, they promise generational upheaval. But decades of peace and stability have left markets, politics, economies and societies complacent and vulnerable. It’s going to get bumpy says Ruffer LLP investment director Alexander Chartres.

Note: This article was written in late 2021, before the Russian invasion of Ukraine.

Do most family businesses really fail by the third generation?

July 22, 2021

Many articles or speeches about family businesses include a reference to the “three-generation rule,” which says that most don’t survive beyond three generations. But that perception could not be further from the truth.

If you’re a fan of the HBO show Succession, or if you’re aware of the conflicts playing out publicly and perennially among some of the most visible family businesses in the world—think the Murdochs or Sumner Redstone’s family—you might assume that family businesses are more fragile than other forms of enterprise.

What geopolitical instability, digital revolution, changing state policies and ESG means for long-term investors

July 1, 2021

Four interlinked areas deserve the attention of long-term investors: greater geopolitical instability; the digital revolution; domestic political changes in the advanced economies; and the rise of environmental, social and governance (ESG) considerations.

The coronavirus crisis has accelerated pre-existing tectonic shifts that are changing the world order.

Should you sell the ancestral family estate?

November 19, 2020

Why would a family who at one time owned up to 50,000 acres sell a house that has been in the family for 40 generations? This is what Will Garton-Jones, owner of the Llanfendigaid Estate in Wales has chosen to do, but it is not a decision that he will have taken lightly.

Institut auf dem Rosenberg makes next-gens top of the class

January 15, 2020

Institut auf dem Rosenberg is one of the leading international boarding schools for boys and girls aged 6-19 years. Owned and run by the Gademann family, Bernhard Gademann, the fourth-generation headmaster, explains how their elite facility gives the young family business leaders of tomorrow the edge in a competitive world.

Should you be flexible?

November 1, 2003

An increasing number of employers are looking at flexible benefits to improve recruitment and retention levels. Is it time your family business became more flexible?

Shawn Healy is a Senior Tax Manager with The BDO Centre for Family Business, formerly the Stoy Centre for Family Business, which was set up in 1992 dedicated to serving the needs and raising the profile of UK family businesses.

An increasing number of employers are looking at flexible benefits to improve recruitment and retention levels. Is it time your family business became more flexible?