Monday, February 13, 2023

Citywire: Risks loom large for high yield markets but there are also plenty of reasons to be optimistic.

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Most asset classes had a rough time in 2022 and high yield debt was no exception. As we come to terms with the new year, what is in store remains to be seen. However, there are both positives and negatives to consider.

The SPDR Bloomberg High Yield Bond ETF lost 12% last year – the worst performance since the global financial crisis. However, that doesn’t necessarily mean we are on course for a repeat. Read more here.



Tuesday, February 7, 2023

Briefings Magazine: Where Tech Starts, Ends

By SIMON CONSTABLE

Something odd happened almost three decades ago. Startup web-browser company Netscape went public, delighting investors despite having no profits. This event, on August 9, 1995, prompted one of the biggest global economic shifts since the industrial revolution. Over the last 27 years, web-based businesses have become behemoths worth billions of dollars: Amazon, Meta, Alphabet, Alibaba, Tencent, Baidu, Netflix. Yet the overwhelming majority of these big tech companies come from just two countries: the US and China. Other countries, such as those in Europe or Asia (excluding China), lag hugely. Read more here.