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pandemic

Future portfolio success will be built on impact

October 13, 2020

The volatility throughout this global pandemic has served as a blunt reminder of the vulnerability of our financial system to global shocks. Having spent 35 years in the private equity space, I have witnessed numerous economic cycles, but this downturn appears to be unique.

As we move further along the dreaded “second wave”, the main issue paralysing the finance sector is uncertainty. Concern over when consumer and investor confidence will return is widespread—and unfortunately, there is no immediate end in sight.

Zoom time: What family offices should consider when investing in Technology, Media and Telecommunications

September 15, 2020

Family offices have always searched for investing across a range of different asset classes. With the technological march, accelerated by the Covid-19 pandemic, the TMT (Technology, Media and Telecommunications) sector is looking even more attractive than before.

Why TMT over other sectors?

How the Coronavirus Impacts the appetite for Cryptocurrency

July 10, 2020

We’ve heard a lot about how the coronavirus has made an impact across the fintech realm, but what about in the crypto space? With an unstable stock market, why weren’t investors fleeing to alternative, blockchain-based assets?

A Beginner’s Guide to Crypto Investing

July 7, 2020

The most frequently asked question I get from people with a new interest in crypto and blockchain technology is how to get investment exposure to the asset class. In this article, I’m going to tell you what options are out there, what, from my view, the respective pros and cons of each are, and, most importantly, which way may suit you best based on your investment size, risk profile, tech understanding and the amount of effort you want to put in.

Are English Courts still the venue of choice for family offices?

June 9, 2020

Before the Covid-19 pandemic, the main challenge posed to the dominance of the English legal system appeared to be Brexit. A flurry of English language courts opened in European cities, touting for business that would otherwise come to the English High Court. We know that imitation is the sincerest form of flattery, so is it any surprise that litigants—including ultra-wealthy clients—still choose the English Courts to resolve their disputes?

The appeal of English Courts

Why the perfect storm is brewing for Bitcoin

May 28, 2020

A pandemic has struck in the form of Covid-19, grinding the global economy to a halt. Politicians are desperately scrambling to enact legislation to protect their constituents as corporate chief executives jockey for the position of being the first constituent in line for their bailout. Unprecedented payments are being made by governments to their citizens to help meet their short-term obligations, and financial markets have utterly collapsed to the tune of extreme volatility, that in crypto, we call Monday.

How to invest in Leveraged Loans in the current market environment

May 27, 2020

The European Leveraged Loans market—like other credit markets—suffered from a sudden and indiscriminate market price decrease at the beginning of the Covid-19 crisis in March, mainly resulting from lack of liquidity across all sub-investment markets and concerns about future rating downgrades and increased probability of defaults.

View From the Gulf: Succession planning urgent in the age of the coronavirus

May 11, 2020

Tests faced by wealthy family businesses in the Gulf are usually related to a stock market crash, loss of an investment or, at worst, the sudden death of the family patriarch. However, the Covid-19 pandemic has brought about a new and unprecedented challenge.

When the outbreak was announced the immediate concern for wealthy families, or private clients as we refer to, was the health and safety of the family patriarch since they were now of an advanced age which placed them in the vulnerable and high-risk category.

FB Roundup: Walmart, Barbour, Grosvenor

April 22, 2020

Walton family’s Walmart hires 200,000 furloughed staff and pauses Asda sale, Barbour family switches production from clothing to personal protection equipment, Grosvenor Estate targets help at vulnerable businesses and families.

Walton family’s Walmart hires 200,000 furloughed staff and pauses Asda sale

Walmart, the world’s biggest family business, reached its goal of hiring 150,000 new employees by the end of May in less than a month and has pledged to hire an extra 50,000 staff as part of the US retailer’s response to the coronavirus crisis.

Covid-19 and the dawn of a new market era

April 9, 2020

The era of monetary dominance is over. Helicopter money signals investment regime changes ahead.

The era of monetary dominance is over. Helicopter money signals investment regime changes ahead.

It was the avalanche we have long feared. From record peak to bear market, the S&P fell faster during the ‘corona crash’ than ever before, as the chart below shows.

At peak turmoil, conventional offsets (bonds, gold) proved flaky friends: investors sold what they could, not what they perhaps should. Specialist crash protections allowed Ruffer portfolios to hold their ground.