Perspectives Pictet

But significant political challenges lie ahead before the 29 March deadline for Brexit. Sterling likely to be in the spotlight for several months.Theresa May’s cabinet has approved her divorce deal with the European Union (EU). A few cabinet secretaries have resigned, including Brexit Secretary Dominic Raab because the deal keeps the UK in a transitory ‘customs union’ with the EU, which in his view continues to give the EU too much influence on UK affairs.The next step is formal approval of...

Disappointing consumption numbers point to growth deceleration in early 2019, but government measures beginning to be felt.Hard data out of China for October was mixed. On the positive side, growth in infrastructure picked up, suggesting the government’s fiscal policy easing is taking effect in the real economy. Industrial production numbers stopped declining, and the mining sector has a particularly strong performance.Growth in fixed asset investment rebounded strongly in October, to 8.1%...

[embedded content] The world is at a crossroads: while geopolitical tensions threaten to upend the established order, developments in areas such as healthcare and technology offer new vistas of possibility for humanity. Uncertainty may seem to be the order of the day but Pictet’s Investment Summit offered a more reassuring message. With more than 200 years of experience, the bank has negotiated the currents of change before; at Pictet’s headquarters in the heart of Geneva, a dynamic line-up...

The world is at a crossroads: while geopolitical tensions threaten to upend the established order, developments in areas such as healthcare and technology offer new vistas of possibility for humanity. Uncertainty may seem to be the order of the day but Pictet’s Investment Summit offered a more reassuring message. With more than 200 years of experience, the bank has negotiated the currents of change before; at Pictet’s headquarters in the heart of Geneva, a dynamic line-up of...

The world is at a crossroads: while geopolitical tensions threaten to upend the established order, developments in areas such as healthcare and technology offer new vistas of possibility for humanity. Uncertainty may seem to be the order of the day but Pictet’s Investment Summit offered a more reassuring message. With more than 200 years of experience, the bank has negotiated the currents of change before; at Pictet’s headquarters in the heart of Geneva, a dynamic line-up of speakers...

Giant digital companies are increasingly competing in the physical world by personalising their offerings, and offering products that create a ‘better me’ or a better world. But some retailers are fighting back by creating real world experiences that cannot be rivalled online.Understanding the consumer of the future is critical to success in a fast-changing world where the old rules no longer apply. Brands need to react to the evolving needs of consumers who are prepared to change their...

The minor concessions continued in the revised plan presented to the European Commission are unlikely to dissuade Brussels from launching sanctions.In a letter to the European Commission on 13 November, the Italian government confirmed that it would aim for a budget deficit at 2.4% of GDP in 2019 and reasserted its real growth forecast of 1.5% for next year. Rome made only minor concessions to Brussels’ demand that it revise its fiscal plan. It committed to raising its privatisation efforts...

Striking power

Striking power

The CIO office’s view of the week ahead.One-time Remain advocate, Jo Johnson (brother of leading Leave campaigner Boris), resigned from his position as minister of transport in protest at Theresa May’s handling of Brexit negotiations. Johnson’s departure signals an increased risk of no deal or a second referendum in our view, with a high level of uncertainty around the outcome persisting. Sterling’s subsequent fall reinforces our play on GBP volatility, which we maintain as the best strategy...