Watch this video for an introduction to the key themes and some new developments in our quarterly Investment Insights from Rathbones’ co-chief investment officer Edward Smith.

Feeling an uncomfortable sense of déja vu? Listen to Rathbones’ co-chief investment officer Edward Smith explain why we don’t see an economic rerun of the 70s.

Why we don’t see an economic rerun of the 70s: a preview of the lead article in this quarter's Investment Insights, which is coming soon.

In his latest quarterly update video, Rathbones’ co-chief investment officer Edward Smith explains how we are mapping the way through the war in Ukraine.

When terrible events like those in Ukraine happen, we need a map to see our way through. Our analysis helps us map the likely paths economies could take from here.

In the second of our ‘what investors need to know’ series, we take a look at GDP as a measurement of economic success, delve into the energy crisis and discuss what a commitment to net zero means for investors.

After a stunning second quarter for economic growth and corporate profits as the world started opening back up again, investor optimism has been tempered. Growth is slowing down in China, the first major economy to regain its lost output, and the global economic recovery seems to be coming off the boil too. Still, we think going from great to merely good will still be good enough.

Investor optimism spread over the second quarter as economies around the world continued to reopen and many aspects of our lives returned to normal. Successful vaccination programmes and stimulus measures across the developed world improved the global outlook.

This year has started off on a positive note, with vaccination programmes making rapid progress and keeping investors optimistic about the prospects for the global economic recovery. While bond markets experienced some volatility during the first quarter, the situation stabilised towards the end of the period.

Financial markets have been on a rollercoaster over the past year. There was a sharp drop in March as countries locked down and then a swift upswing followed, led by technology shares. Even unloved companies, particularly banks and energy firms, have rebounded lately, thanks to good news about vaccines.

As COVID-19 continues to affect our lives and influence economic activity around the world, there’s lots of uncertainty about what the future holds. Localised outbreaks and lockdowns are possible anywhere until a vaccine is found, with the level of unemployment likely to be the key factor driving the pace of the recovery over the next couple of years.

Our lives have been turned upside down by the coronavirus crisis, which is having a profound impact on the global economy and financial markets. Governments are working hard not just to slow the spread of the virus but also to help businesses and their employees. They've announced a range of extraordinary measures, which are being supported by action from central banks.