QuotedData’s economic roundup – January 2019 is a collation of recent insights on markets and economies taken from the comments made by chairmen and investment managers of investment companies – have a read and make your own minds up. Please remember that nothing in this note is designed to encourage you to buy or sell any of the companies mentioned. Kindly sponsored by Polar Capital.

Roundup

The big event of December was the sell-off in US markets. Sharp falls left all major markets in loss making territory for 2018 as a whole. The oil price continued to drop (this was a contributory factor to falling stock markets) and government bond yields tightened, as investors wondered if slowing growth would curtail interest rate rises.

Globally, caution is the watchword as monetary policy is tightened.

In the UK, everyone highlights the uncertainty around Brexit. Some commentators see value in UK stocks at these levels.

In Asia, investors are keeping a close eye on China and the potential impact of the trade war.

Brexit is overshadowing the UK property market. Could it put off the overseas buyers that have been driving prices up?

We also have comments on Europe from JPMorgan European Smaller Companies; North America from the managers of BlackRock North American; BlackRock Frontiers on Global Emerging Markets; on China from JPMorgan Chinese; on the Debt sector from Invesco Perpetual Enhanced. There is an extensive look at the healthcare sector from the managers of Polar Capital Global Healthcare. GCP Infrastructure provide some comments on the infrastructure and renewable infrastructure sectors. Standard Life Private Equity discusses the factors influencing their markets. Schroder European Real Estate takes us through property markets in Europe. Lastly, complementing last month’s extensive piece from Yellowcake, Geiger Counter gives its insight into the global uranium market.