insights.

The pandemic is still with us, and there’s no alternative to portfolio resilience in the face of fresh challenges. But the time for economic healing has come. Discover our latest insights on the recovery & how we position portfolios for the short-term challenges whilst investing for long-term opportunities.

The logistics of supplying food around developed markets proved resilient during the pandemic. Poorer nations are not only still struggling with Covid-19, but threatened with rising levels of hunger.

Plastic pollution accounts for 80% of all waste found in oceans. We must find sustainable alternatives and create more effective ways to reuse plastic. Action is required and investment in innovation is needed. Companies have developed solutions to tackle this growing problem. Watch our video with FT to discover more.

Historical monuments hold a special place in society. Today, philanthropists can play a pivotal role in protecting cultural artefacts using innovative financial mechanisms and digital technology to preserve the legacies of the past. More from our Global Head of Philanthropy, Dr Maximilian Martin.

Economies continue to open up worldwide as tools to fight the coronavirus appear to be effective. Yet the battle has not been won. Some nations are opting for a different approach and will suffer from a delayed economic recovery whilst Europe and Asia battle clusters of infections. Read more from our Chief Economist, Samy Chaar on our base case scenario, “square root” recovery, and the short and long-term macro trends.  

We have identified four structural trends that are having a profound impact on the world and as a result, investment opportunities. From these, we present ten investment convictions for the second half of 2020.

Fondation Lombard Odier’s 21st Extraordinary Voyages Prize ceremony was held online on 25 June 2020. The event saw six school leavers receive a prize consisting of a once in a lifetime trip to explore a region and discover themselves. Read more on the projects here.

Through a unique partnership, Lombard Odier and the WWF launch the Donor’s Guide to Environment which outlines concrete projects, expected outcomes and donor opportunities for preserving oceans, forests and freshwater habitats across the globe.

Switzerland’s economic challenges, including persistently negative interest rates, continue to complicate life for investors. The Swiss real estate fund market is rebounding with interesting risk-return profile.

Pandemic-induced demand for dollar safety is waning, and dollar depreciation has been set in motion. We have updated our view on the euro-dollar, and see value in select emerging market currencies.

Transitioning to a net zero economy will generate growth opportunities. And as the COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated low-growth and depressed wages, time is of the essence. We need massive investment in key sectors to secure a sustainable future. Discover the sectors here

As society combats widening inequalities, many philanthropists are asking themselves how they can be an effective force for common good. Using innovation, donor advised funds and new financing strategies, philanthropists can drive change. Read more from our Global Head of Philanthropy, Dr Maximilian Martin.

What is driving greater awareness of sustainability issues within banking, and how does this translate into the development of service offerings? Patrick Odier, our Senior Managing Partner, shares his insights.

Technology is one of our key pillars. With our proprietary banking platform, we offer our back-office technology services to other institutions. The COVID-19 pandemic has exacerbated the importance of developing our tools and strengthening our positioning. Read the full interview from our Managing Partner, Alexandre Zeller.

Big data allows us to monitor the health of key parts of the international economy. We track seven high frequency signals for near real-time investment insights. 

As lockdowns ease and economies open up, many are asking the question – what does a post-COVID world look like? From an economic standpoint, we believe that the pandemic only serves to reinforce existing trends. Low interest rates, low levels of inflation and depressed wages are here to stay. Most importantly, we need a vaccine or an effective treatment against the coronavirus to really move forward.

The COVID-19 crisis is calling for enhanced digitalisation and innovation. Yet start-ups, which develop these vital innovations, are suffering the consequences of the pandemic. In order to stay relevant, Switzerland must support these companies. The collaboration between start-ups and well-established companies might be the answer to securing Swiss competitiveness. More from our Senior Managing Partner, Patrick Odier, here.

Recovery measures must be driven by sustainability in order to build back better. That’s why we have signed an open letter to EU leaders and pledge to support a sustainable recovery. Creating a sustainable post-COVID world requires governments to put measures in place that will lead the way to a circular, lean, inclusive and clean economic model.

US/China tensions have intensified in disputes over trade, technological leadership and geopolitical frictions. The relationship will create volatility for investors for the decades ahead. 

The world has been brought to a standstill due to the COVID-19 crisis and the world is tackling a looming global depression, social injustices and widening inequality. Companies must transition to achieve a sustainable future and adopt sustainable practices that not only benefit their bottom lines but also people and the planet. That’s why being part of the B Corp movement is so important.

How can we meet rising social and environment challenges? From big data to innovative funding models, discover new, impactful instruments that will shape the future of oncology research and humanitarian aid.

Will negative interest rates become a reality in the UK? While sterling screens undervalued against most currencies in trade-weighted terms, we don’t think that negative rates will impact the British pound much. But Brexit could.

Late into lockdown, the UK is emerging to its deepest recession in 300 years with the additional challenge of Brexit.

In the face of rising world challenges, philanthropists have a key role to play. Yet, how can one have a lasting impact? Which sectors should we prioritise? From climate change to education and healthcare, our expert Dr Maximilian Martin discusses sectors where you can really make a difference.

The COVID-19 crisis has exacerbated our dependence on digital solutions. In these times, bankers and external asset managers have relied upon technology to work and communicate but also to manage and preserve their clients’ wealth. Discover why, at Lombard Odier, we believe digitalisation is the future. 

Fundamentally, the US dollar should weaken given extreme overvaluation. However, renewed US-China trade tensions suggests that several G10 and emerging market currencies will face significant headwinds.

While awaiting a Covid-19 vaccine, the world strives to improve logistics and hospital capacity. A second wave could now be better managed.

Could Zurich’s financial centre benefit from Geneva’s successful model? For Andreas Arni, Head of the Swiss Market, entrepreneurship and innovation are key to success.

COVID-19 has had a devastating global impact. Yet, we can create a greener future together. Sustainability, technology and renewable energy will be at the centre of this change and companies, who adapt their business models, will be the outperformers. Those who do not will be left behind. Discover our commitment and vision to building a sustainable post-pandemic world.

As central banks attempt to ventilate their Covid-19-stricken economies, we anticipate a lengthy period of sluggish inflation, setting a path for interest rates and financial assets for the year ahead.

Powerful forces are at play in pushing forward the transition to achieving net zero. Our Managing Partner, Hubert Keller, explains the importance of the zero emissions target for investors, how we identify the winning and losing companies and the potential consequences of COVID-19 on the climate transition agenda. Read the full interview in NZZ am Sonntag here.

Our weekly dashboard offers insight into public health measures, monetary policy, fiscal stimulus and infection rates. Discover more on global de-confinement measures, emerging markets and sector takeaways. 

The German court’s ruling on the ECB’s quantitative easing programme has inflicted some short-term damage to the investor sentiment and trade tensions have resurfaced. We review our FX forecasts to reflect this new reality.

Worldwide, we’ve experienced clear improvements in air quality. Why? Because global transport was drastically reduced due to worldwide lockdowns in a bid to control the COVID-19 outbreak. We believe new, cleaner modes of transport may emerge from this crisis. Read more here.

The Covid-19 crisis has highlighted philosophical differences in the EU that are not about whether the bloc’s states can afford to support one another, but whether they should. 

Economies prepare to open up as global confinement measures appear to be effective. Our Chief Economist, Samy Chaar, explains that the economic healing process might well be underway if we contain the crisis in the first half of the year. But what will a post-covid world look like? We suspect COVID-19, will exacerbate low growth trends, little to no inflation and increase geo-political tensions between China and the USA. Read more here.

Our weekly dashboard offers insight into public health measures, monetary policy, fiscal stimulus and infection rates. Discover more on global de-confinement measures, emerging markets and sector takeaways. 

As the responsible investing business continues to grow, the Financial Times’s Gillian Tett believes players such as auditors, rating agency experts and corporate accountants could have a far greater impact on green issues than activists. Watch more in our video here

Americans look vulnerable to the Covid-19 crisis. The pandemic has exacerbated the country’s political polarisation in a presidential year like no other, while unprecedented levels of fiscal and monetary spending look entirely justified. 

Our weekly dashboard offers insight into public health measures, monetary policy, fiscal stimulus and infection rates. Discover more on global de-confinement measures, emerging markets and sector takeaways. 

The current pandemic crisis has spared no one. Yet, vulnerable populations are severely impacted and exposed in these troubling times. Fondation Lombard Odier has set up a Covid-19 Relief Initiative working with charities to support those who have flown under the radar as a result of the coronavirus. Discover the regions and charities where we aim to make a difference.

Read our Covid-19 update on 30 April 2020. Our weekly dashboard offers insight into public health measures, monetary policy, fiscal stimulus and infection rates and an update on global de-confinement measures.

Lombard Odier announces an investment partnership with Taurus - Switzerland’s leading provider of digital infrastructure for banks, asset managers and stock exchanges. This collaboration further cements Lombard Odier’s strategic approach in technologies such as Blockchain and digital asset solutions.

COVID-19’s global slowdown is resulting in an unforeseen decrease in carbon emissions and water pollution. Yet, will this last? Sustainable economic measures & permanent adoption of new behaviours will be key to securing a net zero world. 

Recent less-than-worthless oil prices have underlined the market’s fragility and promised output cuts don’t go far enough to balance the collapse in demand following Covid-19. This is not a buying opportunity. Read more from our CIO Private Bank, Stéphane Monier"

Read our Covid-19 update on 27 April 2020. Our weekly dashboard offers insight into public health measures, monetary policy, fiscal stimulus and infection rates. Read our detailed update on global de-confinement measures, sector takeaways and a special focus on emerging markets. 

Digital technology is vital to economic growth and the transition to a sustainable future. Yet, the sector is carbon intensive and emits, roughly, the equivalent of air travel carbon emissions. Read more on how companies are transitioning to net zero using the Digital Revolution.

Our weekly COVID-19 dashboard offers insight into public health measures, monetary policy, fiscal stimulus and infection rates and an update on global de-confinement measures.

Patrick Odier, our Senior Managing Partner, was invited on Radio Television Suisse with leading figures to discuss Switzerland’s de-confinement measures outlined by the Federal Council on 16 April. In order to move forward, public health must set the priorities and outweigh the economics.

FX markets are gradually normalising on the back of the decline in global Covid-19 cases and historic policy support. We expect the dollar to weaken against the G10 majors, and strengthen against EM FX.