Knowledge and Insight - Review of the week

Housing costs make up a big part of people’s spending, yet they can often obscure what’s going on with inflation.

A gruelling year for investors actually delivered decent returns. But how much of that strong performance is in anticipation of 2024?

A Santa rally is in full swing for stocks and bonds, capping off a year of large swells for investors. While returns flow, climate policy is ebbing at COP28 in Dubai.

A bout of runaway inflation could persuade some people that no inflation would be better than any at all. That’s a dangerous path to take.

After a miserable year for living standards, Brits are feeling much better about their lives and their futures. But how much will that move the dial for retail spending and economic growth?

The government has more cash to work with after better-than-expected GDP growth and higher tax receipts. How will the extra money be used?

Updates on inflation and unemployment arrive this week. Will they give investors more clarity about the paths of interest rates?

Central bankers have sat on their hands for another month, sending the prices of stocks and bonds soaring. While interest rates seem to have peaked, the full effects of previous increases are yet to be felt by households and businesses.

There’s a veritable sea of moving parts out there in the global economy, which are keeping investors on edge. The big question is, how will they influence central bankers?

The US House of Representatives is struggling to agree on a new Speaker as the US ticks toward a shutdown of government. Strangely, stocks seem more perturbed by strong economic growth.

Big banks are reporting strong profits so far this quarter, but how will the rest of the market fare? And is higher-than-usual inflation making people glum?

This week has seen harrowing atrocities committed by the terrorist group Hamas against Israeli civilians. With so far more than 1,200 people reported to have been killed, this is the most serious cross-border attack Israel has faced in decades.