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Over the past few months, global growth expectations for 2019 have been continuously adjusted downwards. Although fears of a recession gained ground in the last quarter of 2018, the U.S. Federal Reserve’s change of course, as well as 2019’s unexpectedly more positive first-quarter reporting season, contributed to a significant easing of the situation.

The price of gold reached a significant high recently. In our latest video, ETHENEA Senior Portfolio Manager Michael Blümke gives our assessment of the increase in the precious metal, what tactical implications this has within the Ethna-AKTIV portfolio and what our long-term strategy is in relation to gold.

The slightest thing – a remark by a central bank, a geopolitical development or the publication of market data – could be enough to tip the balance of general sentiment in the markets and trigger a correction. The movement up or down could gather momentum due to group dynamics, and end up becoming dramatic. In our latest Market Commentary, Harald Berres looks at whether such extreme movements inevitably herald a lasting economic downturn or upturn.

At the latest G20 summit taking place in Osaka today and on Saturday, the most important event from an economic point of view, is likely be a meeting between U.S. President Trump and his Chinese counterpart Xi. At the start of June, markets had little confidence that the trade conflict between the two countries would ease any time soon. Worse still, additional tariffs were considered likely.

With the next FOMC (Federal Open Market Committee) meeting scheduled to take place on Wednesday; the Fed's Committee is currently facing both a slowdown in growth and weak inflation. One example of this is the U.S. Purchasing Managers' Index for the manufacturing sector, an early indicator of economic development, which has declined in recent months.

The origin of the financial-world adage “Sell in May and go away” is that May traditionally marked the start of a difficult period for global equity markets. In our latest Market Commentary, Dr Volker Schmidt, Senior Portfolio Manager at ETHENEA, explains why it might be worthwhile for investors to “sell in May but don’t go away” this year.