Insights

In June, the unrelenting appetite for risk prevailed and global stock markets continued to grind higher amid optimism for a successful reopening of major economies that are awash with central bank and government support.

In April, sentiment was reinvigorated and risky assets got some much-needed reprieve after the worst meltdown since the global financial crisis. Investors welcomed some tentative signs that the COVID global infection curve may be flattening, which sparked discussions about re-opening the economy.

The month of March was nothing short of unprecedented. Financial markets were roiled against the backdrop of the escalating COVID-19 pandemic and the dreadful economic fallout from the countermeasures to contain it.

The crisis in confidence stemming from COVID-19 has become increasingly self-fulfilling, which has brought into question our outlook for global growth as government efforts to contain the virus restricts economic activity and as individuals self-isolate in response to the fast-spreading pandemic.