Korn Ferry: The New Stay-Home Policy

By SIMON CONSTABLE

First, there were government-mandated quarantines, in one country after another, each creating new levels of concern for the public. Now, a business-led version of these steps is emerging with a key question: How well can it be implemented?

To fight the coronavirus, some companies across the globe are imposing self-quarantines, with clearly defined rules about who can come to the office, who can’t, and what travel arrangements are allowable or advisable. The rules typically rely on information from the World Health Organization and local health organizations, and few question their need—just how they will be imposed in the realities of many operations. Read more here.

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Forbes: Coronavirus Crash Will Leave Stocks Higher 12 Months From Now, History Shows

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Investors are acting like the world is about to end.

But the truth is that the Coronavirus won’t destroy global business any more than previous viral outbreaks, at least if history is anything to go by. Better still stocks should rally over the next 12 months, leaving investors ahead of the game. Read more here.

Forbes: Is It Time To Buy Emerging Markets Stocks? Yes, Says UBS

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Who wants to buy into emerging markets (EM) stocks?

On the face of it, the sector doesn’t seem too appealing in the wake of the China-born Coronavirus outbreak. China has a 33% weighting in the MSCI emerging markets index and Beijing has made many missteps in managing the crisis.

But the reality may be far better than some investors know. Read more here.

UBS

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Forbes: Gold Prices Are Headed To Record Highs No Matter Where You Live

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Get ready for a record-breaking rally in global gold prices.

The price of the yellow metal is fast approaching its all-time high when measured in dollars and will also do the same in other currencies, according to a recent research report. Read more here.

"#1 Best Seller" on Amazon...

Robert Wright and Simon Constable's book the WSJ Guide to the 50 Economic Indicators that Really Matter now is officially a best seller. 

Barron's: Argentina Needs More Than Loans. Investors Should Stay Away for Now.

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Don’t let the prospect of an international debt bailout tempt you into buying Argentine stocks anytime soon.

The longer-term prospects for the economy are poor because of misguided policies and the systemic weakness of the country’s institutions. Those problems are unlikely to get fixed by the recent meeting with the International Monetary Fund, experts say.

“This is a no-go situation,” says Steve Hanke, professor of applied economics at Johns Hopkins University. He was also a formal and informal economic adviser to the Argentine government from the late 1980s to the mid-1990s. Read more here.

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Korn Ferry: Has Productivity Flatlined in the UK?

By SIMON CONSTABLE

The world may think we are all long past the financial crisis of 2008. But new research suggests that in the United Kingdom, and perhaps elsewhere, the harm to the workforce has been much more lasting—and still needs correcting.

According to new data that only makes the timing of Brexit more worrisome, during the decade after the crisis, the UK’s economic efficiency fell to its worst level in 250 years. Productivity growth, or the annual increase in output per worker, fell to an average of less than 0.2% per year over the decade, compared to a normal trend line increase of between 1% and 3% a year, the research shows. More recent figures suggest little improvement last year. Read more here.