New Court

2023 started off on a positive note—followed by a few surprises that made the journey a bit bumpy in the first quarter. In this episode, CEO Helen Watson sits down with Victor Balfour and Hugo Capel Cure to discuss the rather interesting Q1, the effect it had on our portfolio, and what opportunities may lie ahead for us.    

The fourth quarter of 2022 ended on a more positive note after what was a pretty dismal year for investment markets - a year that was headlined by historic inflation and the impact that had on interest rates and economic growth. What does 2023 have in store? Our CEO, Helen Watson, along with Kevin Gardiner and Hugo Capel Cure, reflect on Q4 and 2022 as a whole, and discuss why the changing investm...

The third quarter of 2022 was plagued with similar challenges as previous quarters: rising interest rates and inflation, coupled with a tumultuous geopolitical landscape, continue to ensue. Is there relief on the horizon? Our CEO, Helen Watson, talks with Victor Balfour and Hugo Capel Cure about the current market situation, effects on our portfolio, and the cautiously optimistic outlook ahead.

Our CEO Helen Watson sits down with Victor Balfour and Rupen Patel to discuss the performance of the second quarter of 2022 for both the macro and investment outlook, which has been impacted by yet another quarter of a challenging geopolitical situation and rising inflation and policy.

The first quarter of 2022 proved to be a volatile one, with geopolitical events, raging inflation and policy uncertainty casting a shadow over market sentiment. As usual we sit down to discuss this unique landscape and how our portfolios have fared, before looking ahead to what the rest of the year may look like for both the macro and investment outlook.

In this discussion, we were joined by Lord Mark Sedwill, delving into the potential geopolitical flashpoints on the horizon; Russia-Ukraine, China's consolidation of power in Taiwan, upcoming elections on both sides of the Atlantic and, of course, inflation.

The final quarter ended on a high note for global stocks, rounding off a strong year in spite of the continued impact of Covid-19, supply and labour imbalances, and inflationary concerns. In the first podcast of 2022, we take a look back over the final months of the year, as well as the year as a whole, considering how markets have performed, and how this environment has impacted portfolios.

The third quarter of 2021 proved a more challenging one for markets following the strength of Q2. As growth has begun to slow, inflationary struggles have persisted alongside the lingering impact of the pandemic. Delving into these themes, as well as various geopolitical developments and current issues in labour markets, we also provide an overview of portfolio performance in the context of this t...

In our recent Autumn Investment Briefing, we took a look at what the transition towards a post-pandemic world will look like, discussing the uncertainties and questions that remain around the macroeconomic landscape, rising inflation pressure, market valuations, and what all this means for portfolios. 

In our latest 'In conversation with' series, we had the pleasure of speaking with Lord Sedwill. The conversation was wide-ranging, covering both domestic and global issues, as well as touching on his role at the recent G7 Summit in Cornwall where he chaired a panel on economic recovery.

While the second quarter of 2021 saw a continuation of many of the first quarter trends; strong global GDP growth, slowing contagion rates and ongoing vaccination roll outs, we are finally seeing a rise in inflationary pressure. The extent of this inflation, and impact on businesses, stocks and bonds, still remains to be seen, but will likely depend on supply-side dynamics and ongoing policy decis...

The first three months of the year have seen the continued recovery of national economies and markets, with much of the world now at more-or-less pre-crisis levels of GDP. While bonds have fared less well in recent months, and there are still lingering uncertainties around inflation and diverging recovery rates, we believe that fiscal policy will help mediate this inflationary risk, and that growt...

As global markets and economies begin to recover, and look forward to a post-pandemic surge in demand, there have been increasing concerns about a subsequent rise in inflation. Taking a look at dramatic periods of high inflation like the 1970s, as well as how low inflation can erode wealth and undermine returns over time, we delve into what inflation is, its risks, and what we do to try and protec...

With a drop in consumer spending and a halt in international travel, payments companies were naturally impacted during 2020. And yet, at the same time, the past year has seen a huge shift from cash to digital payments, as consumers look for more hygienic methods of paying. Taking a closer look at these trends, we take a deep-dive into Mastercard and American Express, the two payments companies hel...

The fourth quarter marked a strong end to a turbulent year, shoring up the remarkable market recovery in the latter half of 2020. Market performance was boosted by the rolling out of vaccinations alongside supportive policy, continued economic recovery and encouraging geopolitical developments. This supported our view that markets tend to ‘look across the valley’, especially in what was primarily...

In our latest Meet the Manager podcast we spoke with founder and CIO of Abbey Capital, Tony Gannon. Abbey Capital is the world’s largest manager of world's largest manager of multi-manager managed futures funds, with a particular focus on trend following strategies.  Tony gives us an insight into this industry, how it can provide a source of returns even in adverse market conditions, as well as ho...

With the 2020 US Presidential Election now less than a week away, Joe Biden maintains a robust lead in the polls despite aggressive campaigning by President Trump. Nonetheless, after a remarkable year, and given what happened in 2016, it is still impossible to be certain of either a Democrat or Republican victory on 3rd November. In this special election podcast, we are joined by financier, entrep...

As markets continue to build upon their second quarter rebound, economic recovery has continued, albeit unevenly. Analysing these dynamics alongside prevailing geopolitical concerns, we remain positive about the current trajectory of recovery, considering generous monetary policy and recovery packages. After a strong but ‘lumpy’ quarter for portfolios, we outline the gains made by our Return Asset...

In times of crisis, it is natural to look to the past for guidance. Now, as we continue to navigate the challenges of this global pandemic, we reflect on our experiences as a firm, how we have weathered periods of volatility and how our family origins have shaped our longevity as a business.

As non-essential shops begin to re-open, high streets and shopping centres are gradually recovering some semblance of normality. Nonetheless, months of lockdown and lost footfall have dealt a devasting blow to brick-and-mortar retail, with fashion and clothing stores making up a substantial part of this sector. In this podcast, we take a closer look at the impacts of COVID-19 on retail and luxury...

After a dramatic stock market plunge in the first quarter of 2020, markets have rebounded almost as dramatically in the second quarter. We therefore maintain that because the downturn was deliberate, and as stock markets tend to be forward-looking, it may well prove relatively short-lived. Re-emphasising the surprising pace of this rebound, we explain that portfolios have recovered much of the los...

Based in the growing tech ‘hub’ of Austin,Texas, we speak with Jay Creel and John Dowling of Bares Capital who invest in small-to-mid-cap tech disruptors with long-term growth potential. With a high-conviction portfolio, currently investing in just 9 positions, we take a deep-dive into Bares’ stock selection process and their boots-on-the-ground approach, exploring a few positions in detail. Looki...

In lockdown, cooking and eating at home, without the luxury of restaurants or cafés, has encouraged many of us to think more about how we source and consume our food. Shifts in demand and social distancing restrictions have also caused huge disruption for producers, highlighting critical issues in the ways we grow, distribute and import our food. In this podcast we speak with chef and restaurant o...

In the past year, there have been many watershed moments in climate change activism. We saw Extinction Rebellion shutdown cities, Greta Thunberg become a household name, and brands and consumers across the board reject single-use plastic. 2019 has since been regarded as the year sustainability became ‘mainstream.’ In this episode we speak with Mike Azlen, Founder and CEO of Carbon Cap, which aims...

In this podcast, we provide some insight into our investment process, sharing our views on portfolio holdings amidst the ongoing market volatility.