January market update – global equity markets experienced a sharp sell-off

Chief Investment Officer Chris Godding and Senior Research Analyst Louie French give their commentary on what happened in the markets and global economies over the month of January 2020.

Global equity markets experienced a sharp sell-off in January as fears over the outbreak of the coronavirus in China created new downside risks to the outlook for global growth.

In this edition

• Asian and Emerging Market equities underperformed over the month
• Commodity markets were also generally weak on growth fears, with the exception being the price of gold, which rose to fresh six-year highs as investors sought ‘safe haven’ assets
• The flight to safety in the second half of January was also positive for the total returns from government bonds as yields fell

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We hope you have found this update helpful. Please do get in touch on 020 7189 2400 if you have any queries or would like more information.