Articles and stories

Private markets refer to investments in equity and debt of privately owned companies.

The COVID-19 pandemic has thrown the world into a recession as severe as the 2008 global financial crisis. Surprisingly, household wealth has resisted so far. We look at what has kept households in good shape, who has suffered most, and whether our power to create wealth truly remains undiminished.

Lifecycle investing for women can help female investors make their wealth work harder. Using lifecycle stages as an investment framework is a way for women to adjust their investment strategy to match the specific needs of each stage in their life. Financial institutions can use this approach to tailor their advice to female investors and help them build up more capital over the long term.

So far this year, financial markets have been swayed by a most unexpected turn of events, the COVID-19 pandemic and its repercussions. Yet, in the final quarter of this year, attention has shifted to a highly anticipated event, the US elections.

The economic shock from the COVID-19 pandemic has spurred interest in finding ways to stimulate economies and create jobs while addressing social priorities such as climate change. In Credit Suisse's latest podcast on its long-term investment themes known as Supertrends, Brian Blackstone talks to Eugène Klerk, Head of ESG Research at Credit Suisse, about why the global economy needs green stimulus, which sectors will benefit from it, and why – after years of talking about green-focused stimulus without much follow-up – this time things may actually be different.

Sustainable investing has a long history and has evolved considerably in recent decades. Today, we are witnessing a shift from ESG exclusion and integration-only approaches towards the inclusion of thematic and impact-aligned approaches.

"What goes up must come down." Our economists recently used this phrase to describe the peak in economic activity they expect in coming weeks after a strong rebound this summer.

Family-owned companies consider and incorporate ESG (environmental, corporate, and social) factors more than their counterparts that are not family owned. Businesses owned by families tend to take a longer-term view and are often better prepared for the future. The latest Credit Suisse Family 1000 report looks at the differences in detail and concludes that, over time, family-owned business with strong ESG credentials perform better.

The economic value of global ocean assets is around USD 24 trillion, making it the seventh-largest economy in the world. A sustainable blue economy is not just crucial for planetary and human health – it also makes good business sense. Yet, with the acceleration of climate change, plastic pollution, and overfishing, the ocean's condition is deteriorating. Active investor engagement can help to turn this crisis around.

In this podcast, Brian Blackstone chats to Credit Suisse chief economist James Sweeney and chief European economist Neville Hill about the global economy's prospects heading into the autumn and beyond.