Should we be worried about stagflation?

In the latest episode of the Investment Insights Podcast, Mark Winterburn is joined again by Felicity Selcoe from the UK Advisory team to discuss what is happening in today’s markets. The conversation kicks off with the recent news from the US that the Federal Reserve has lifted the target rate of the federal-funds rate from 0.25% to 0.5% and what this says about the current economic situation. Stagflation - the persistence of high inflation coupled with a stagnant economy and high unemployment - is also touched on by the team as they discuss whether there is a genuine threat of sustained stagflation in years to come following the surge in energy and commodity prices in reaction to the war in Ukraine. On the topic of energy, Mark highlights the shift to clean energy - a theme well-liked by our Research and Next Generation departments - to curb both climate emissions but the dependencies on Russian oil and gas. Finally, Felicity explains what has been causing the high volatility in Chinese equities in recent weeks.