This Friday, the global shipping sector may have reached an inflection point. In London, the International Maritime Organization (IMO) gathers its member states to vote on what could become the world’s first binding climate deal for commercial maritime transport. At stake is a carbon pricing framework designed to steer a sector responsible for roughly three percent of global gr ...

The last time we discussed this graph in our MacroFriday was in February, when the gold price hit a record high of 2882 USD per ounce. Eight months later, gold is trading at around 4,240 USD per ounce, marking an impressive 47% price increase.   The high (negative) correlation between the gold price and the US real rate broke in 2022. A key driver of gold's rally since th ...

How the age of the deal made chaos look investable.   “I gave up caring about anything and all my problems disappeared”. (Friedrich Nietzsche)   “I’ve been studying this now for three years. I’ve read 25 books on it”. (Jared Kushner)   “I don't like violence, Tom. I'm a businessman; blood is a big expense”. (Virgil Solozzo in ‘The Godfather’)     Back in Februar ...

Last week, we took a dive into solar PV additions in 2024, placing them against the 2030 NZE benchmark to see how far we’ve come. This week, we turn our eyes to wind power. It’s important to start from the same reference point: under the IEA’s Net Zero Emissions scenario, 2,742 GW of installed wind capacity (onshore and offshore combined) is needed by 2030. With solar surging, ...

Image generated by Gemini   Europe stands at a crossroads. The shocks of recent years — from the pandemic to the war in Ukraine — have laid bare just how fragile the continent’s economic and defensive foundations can be. Supply chains once taken for granted have splintered, energy dependencies have become strategic risks, and the comfortable assumption of lasting peace has gi ...

Last wednesday, the U.S. government entered a shutdown after Republicans and Democrats failed to agree on a new federal funding bill. As a result, non-essential government functions have been suspended: ‘non-essential’ federal workers are furloughed without pay, while others in ‘essential’ roles continue to work temporarily unpaid. President Trump’s renewed threats of potential ...

After Wednesday’s Econopolis Economic Encounter, with guest speaker Professor David Criekemans discussing his new book Hyperrealism, it is only logical we dedicate our MacroFriday to geopolitics. The lack of resources in some regions, or the strategic control over them in others, can play a vital role in economic developments. And China holds considerable leverage over the West ...

On Wednesday the 1st of October, clients, partners and colleagues gathered for our annual Econopolis Economic Encounter, an evening to reflect together on the forces shaping the global economy, markets, and our investment strategies. CEO & Economist Geert Noels opened the night by underlining a clear ambition: in a world where geopolitics, technology and climate transitions ...

More than a year ago, our weekly Climate Shocker studied the global solar PV capacity additions for 2023 and how they stacked up against the Net Zero Emissions (NZE) targets for 2030. With 2024 well behind us and new data available, it felt like the right moment to revisit those numbers and assess where we stand. In this update, the focus will lie on grid-connected solar photov ...

The hearing aids industry is attractive given secular growth drivers. Although the market environment is challenging in the short term, the market should eventually return to its historical growth pattern. There are several investment options for investors looking to get exposure to the theme.   Megatrends … Ageing populations, more active seniors, reduced stigma, improved a ...