There is a saying that the "animal spirits have been brought to life" when business and consumer confidence picks up and starts to gather momentum. We certainly feel that this has been the case since mid-2016, when an economic soft patch or mini-recession ended globally and has gathered pace since Donald Trump won the US elections in late 2017. The animal spirits ignited by synchronised global growth, better forecasted earnings and benign inflation could, however, change character quickly in the near future. The economic and investment world as we have come to know it over the past decade could be facing seismic shifts. A number of factors could alter what seems to be a reasonably "comforting" investment environment and rekindle a more "normal" world of volatility, and hence a more schizophrenic behavioural environment from market participants. For the most part, we believe opportunities remain for generating high-quality returns for clients, but the shifting sands around the world ...
Would you like to comment on this article?
Sign up (it's quick and free) or sign in now.
Please read our Comment Policy before commenting.
Subscribe now to unlock this article.
Support BusinessLIVE’s award-winning journalism for R129 per month (digital access only).
There’s never been a more important time to support independent journalism in SA. Our subscription packages now offer an ad-free experience for readers.
Cancel anytime.
Questions? Email helpdesk@businesslive.co.za or call 0860 52 52 00. Got a subscription voucher? Redeem it now.