The year opens with a global economy that is neither stalling nor accelerating decisively, but increasingly shaped by overlapping and, at times, conflicting forces. Growth .

Growth and inflation indicators ended the year on a steadier footing.

We maintain a neutral strategic stance on US duration and rely on tactical implementation. Growth momentum continues to look resilient rather than fragile, and the labour market is showing signs of stabilising at lower levels rather than accelerating deterioration. Survey data supports this view, and high-frequency growth tracking remains firm, reinforcing our assessment that recession risks are not the central case in the near term.

European equities have risen sharply since the last Equity Committee in December, with small caps outperforming large caps.

The focus this week will be the World Economic Forum’s annual meeting in Davos, where US President Trump is scheduled to give a special address and where ECB President Lagarde is also expected to speak.

The focus this week will be on the US CPI report for December and the release of the Fed’s Beige book ahead of the FOMC end-January.

Investor focus at the start of the year will centre on the US December job report, as recent labour market signals have been increasingly noisy.

As AI capex intensifies, China accelerates and opportunities broaden across regions, how should investors approach portfolio construction for 2026?