Outlook
& news.

Markets had a knee-jerk reaction when the FOMC minutes were released last Wednesday.

No less than 20 central banks met over the week to discuss monetary policy with some deciding to reduce monetary support even if the Omicron variant continued to spread at a worrying pace.

The recent emergence of the Omicron variant is a timely reminder that the epidemic still represents a risk factor. It is still too early to measure its exact impact.

Infrastructure funding is part of the Rothschild history.

In the US, the Bi-partisan Infrastructure Framework, or BIF, finally got through Congress.

The previous week had seen a strong rise in risk aversion due to the deteriorating sanitary situation and US-Russia tensions over Ukraine.

All it needed to destabilise markets was the emergence of a new Covid variant. European indices tanked, down 6% from their all-time highs, and the V2X volatility index soared 50% over the week.

For some, ESG is becoming a new standard. At Edmond de Rothschild, we have been doing ESG for a very long time.

Edmond De Rothschild private equity and Peakbridge announce agri-foodtech investment partnership targeting €250 million in assets to transform the industry

The much awaited news on the Fed Chair appointment finally emerged. Jerome Powell was reappointed and Lael Brainard will be the new Vice-Chair.

A consensus is growing around the requirements that an impact investment must meet. There are three: intentionality, additionality and impact measurement.

Sanitary risk is rising in Europe. Nevertheless, vaccinations and the near-term prospects of an oral treatment will help governments focus on measures that will have less of an economic impact.