Market Review – August 2026
August 2026 has been a month of divergence between regions and asset classes. Equity markets remained resilient overall despite persistent geopolitical uncertainty, with the dominant narrative centred on the sustainability of AI-driven capital expenditure, rising long-term bond yields, and uneven economic momentum across major economies. While US markets pulled back modestly from recent highs in […]
Market Review – July 2026
July has offered little respite from the geopolitical and macroeconomic uncertainty that has defined the first half of 2026. The Middle East conflict remains the dominant source of inflation and energy-market risk, despite attempts to establish a ceasefire and reopen key shipping routes. The initial improvement in sentiment following the peace agreement proved short-lived, with […]
Market Review – June 2026
June marked a turning point for global markets as the signing of a peace agreement in the Middle East triggered a relief rally across energy markets. While oil prices quickly retreated towards their pre-conflict levels, the broader macroeconomic effects proved far less immediate. While a brief resurgence in hostilities over the final weekend of June […]
Market Review – May 2026
Three months into the Middle East conflict, the global economy has transitioned from the initial shock phase and into a more complex adjustment period. While oil prices have retreated roughly 20% from their conflict peaks on hopes of a diplomatic resolution, they remain structurally higher than their pre-war levels. Despite the pullback in crude prices, […]
Market Review – April 2026
Two months into the Iran war, the global macro picture is no longer defined purely by the initial oil shock. Markets have staged a strong recovery from their March lows, helped at times by hopes of talks or a broader ceasefire, even as risk remains elevated because ceasefire efforts have repeatedly stalled and oil has […]
Market Review – March 2026
Over the past month, the escalation of the Middle East conflict has dominated global financial markets. Disruptions to shipping through the Gulf have raised freight and insurance costs, pushed up energy input prices, and begun to weigh on business activity across the US, UK, Europe, and Japan, while China has faced renewed supply chain stress […]
Middle East Market Update – 4th March
Market reactions to recent regional developments and what it means for long-term investors.– Prepared 4 March 2026 (as of 11am GST) Key Takeaways Recent escalation between the United States, Israel and Iran has increased geopolitical uncertainty across the Middle East. Financial markets have reacted in a typical way to geopolitical events, with oil and gold […]
Operational Update – Client Services March 2nd
GSB continues to operate as normal and remains fully available to clients across all divisions. While our physical office is currently closed, our team is fully operational and accessible online. All advisory, portfolio management and private client services are continuing without interruption. Meetings are proceeding as scheduled via phone and video conference. Our standard working […]
Market Review – February 2026
This month was defined by a notable divergence between the world’s major economies. While the United States began to feel the friction of high interest rates and a cooling manufacturing sector, the United Kingdom and Japan showed surprising resilience. Central banks policies remain the primary focus, with the Federal Reserve maintaining a “higher-for-longer” stance while […]
Market Review – January 2026
Global Markets entered 2026 in a more balanced position than the previous year. Inflation has moderated, policy rates have retreated from their peaks in most major economies, and corporate earnings continue to show resilience. However, January was characterized by heightened uncertainty, driven by geopolitical tensions in South America and the Middle East, political noise around […]