Happy New Year! Now, what are our experts’ wishes for 2020?

Involving investors in the fight against global warming is a good thing. But, in practice, how do we "decarbonize" a portfolio? Explanations by expert David Czupryna (Candriam).

"...Boomers see doing good as separate from investing; whereas millennials don't see how you could possibly separate the two."

No need to introduce the FANGs to anyone. You are probably one of the billions of people that use Google Maps©, Instagram©, Netflix© or Amazon© on a daily – or minutely? – basis.

What can we expect for the financial markets after a year that saw (at the time of writing) positive performances for asset classes across the board?

The 'plastic soup', the several billions of tons of plastic invisibly floating below the surface of the ocean, is a metaphor much less tasteful than it sounds.

What's to expect and where to invest ?

Will the pace of mergers & acquisitions (M&A) run out of steam one day? This is a legitimate question for investors to ask, as the past 5 years have seen a heavy M&A dealflow, which has created significant value.

ESG integration criteria into investment portfolios, by Wim Van Hyfte (Candriam)

In recent years, sluggish global growth and low interest rates have encouraged companies to use debt as a means of financing their development.

European real estate markets slowed in response to the wider slowdown in the real economy in 2018 and 2019, but rents continue to rise as supply shortage is now acute in a number of major western European cities.

Big numbers. Big, big numbers. For investors, too.  

The surprising election of US President Donald Trump, or the Brexit vote and its continuing saga, make one wonder whether 2016 may have marked the peak of globalization.

2020, year of the presidential elections in the United States.

Will the euro zone get stuck in a long period of stagnation? The question is worth exploring at a point where growth is at a standstill in Germany and Italy, while the euro zone as a whole has seen growth drop to under 1%...despite an all-time accommodative monetary policy.

The world is a strange place right now. Investors are nervous about the US/China trade war while much of Europe is still struggling to sustain growth. At the same time, securities markets are on a tear.

As 2019 draws to a close, growth in the US will be positive for the 10th year in a row, which is the longest continuous period of expansion recorded since the mid-19th century.

In its hit track 'Golden Brown', the British rock band 'The Stranglers' reminds us of the obvious: "No need to fight / Never a frown with golden brown." As the year draws to a close, it must be said that the financial markets were unable to withstand the 'golden brown' of central banks.

2019 was marked by a significant slowdown in global growth. Our scenario for 2020: no recession, despite a slowdown in economic activity in the US and in China and sluggish growth in Europe.