The second quarter of 2026 was exceptionally strong for global stock markets, delivering some of the best returns seen since the post-pandemic recovery period. Most major equity markets rose substantially, with technology companies, particularly those exposed to artificial intelligence (AI), semiconductors and memory chips, being among the strongest performers across the US and Asia. What makes this rally particularly noteworthy is that it occurred despite a challenging backd

Britain's main political parties have refused to contest the Clacton by-election triggered by Nigel Farage's resignation, describing the vote as a political stunt designed to distract from ongoing investigations into his financial declarations. Labour, the Conservatives, Liberal Democrats, Greens and Restore Britain have all ruled out standing candidates, leaving Farage likely to face only minor-party and independent challengers. Reform UK argues the move demonstrates opponen

This week we have been considering two major themes for our clients: a renewed domestic focus on regional growth led by Andy Burnham, and a wider geopolitical shift towards higher defence spending. Undoubtedly both have the potential to influence markets, taxation, public investment and therefore long-term financial planning. The first story concerns Andy Burnham’s proposed “Number 10 North”, a Manchester-based growth unit intended to give the prospective prime minister a str