Finance

Data to 23 January 2026 Bond markets have started 2026 in a way that total return investors will recognise: income…

2025 was another reminder that defensive investing isn’t about avoiding risk altogether, it’s about choosing the right risks and…

Data to 23 January 2026 2026 has begun much as 2025 ended: markets outside the US have taken the lead,…

2025 was a strong year for global equities, but it was also a year when where you were invested…

This week, we are turning the spotlight onto GWA Asset Management (GWAAM), the team behind the MGTS Qualis Funds. Across…

Shona Robison’s final Scottish Budget for 2026/27 was delivered yesterday after a delay caused by the late UK Budget, marking a pivotal moment ahead of the May Holyrood elections and her departure from frontline politics. The Budget sets out tax, welfare, and public‑service plans that will shape Scotland’s political debate over the coming months.

We enter 2026 with US stocks dominating the global market while trading on expensive valuations. A small number of tech stocks account for a large portion of US returns and they are increasingly tied to the fortunes of the AI industry. These are certainly risks to be aware of.

Stocks had a small dip in November, before recovering back towards their previous highs. The longest US government shutdown in history had a negative effect, before coming to an abrupt end and allowing stocks to rally.

Another month, another gain for stock markets. It can’t continue like this forever and there are clear signs of profit-taking in some of the most popular trades. This feels like a test to see whether a renewed bout of “buy-the-dip” behaviour will drive stocks to fresh highs once the US government re-opens.

Stocks are at record highs and have now risen for five months in a row. Such a hot streak is quite rare, happening only 11 times since 2009. An artificial intelligence (AI) investment boom is at the heart of the rally.

August followed a familiar path with stocks rising for the fourth month in a row. A number of factors are supporting the market, including interest rate cuts from the US and UK, a massive increase in US fiscal stimulus through President Trump’s “big, beautiful bill” and a significant decline in the value of the US dollar

14 August 2025