While many of us may be looking ahead to a summer break, we are also looking back on a successful, albeit eventful, first half of the year. Against a backdrop in which the economic recovery withstood further waves of the coronavirus pandemic, but in line with our expectations, financial markets delivered solid returns.

Our Global Wealth Report 2021 looks into the impact of the COVID-19 pandemic and the response of policymakers on global wealth and its distribution. The analysis shows continued wealth growth; nevertheless, bearing in mind the widespread economic disruption, household wealth and macroeconomic indicators seem to be on different trajectories.

For businesses and investors, sustainable food will give rise to both opportunities and disruption.

As we know very well, the pandemic has not only upended many areas of life, but also led to extremes in financial markets and economic data. The former have seen volatility pick up in recent weeks, and the latter have been highly erratic.