John Plender

FT

Smoke billowing in central Israel from reported missiles launched from Iran on Friday (Mar 6). Geopolitical shocks in war and peacetime tend to lead to lasting fiscal expansion.

The Iran war presents a ‘guns and butter’ nightmare for investors

How long the conflict will last, and its energy impact, are unknown, but mounting global debt and inflation risks are all too real

If fiscal support for a central bank is lacking, market participants may fear that it will issue additional reserves to finance its liabilities, thus eroding trust in money and putting price stability at risk.
THE BOTTOM LINE

The risks of radical accounting changes

Policymakers, regulators and investors need to be acutely aware of unintended consequences

Governance shortcomings in private equity, overlooked in the cheap money bonanza, now look pressing as institutional investors query the values private equity managers put on portfolio companies.
THE BOTTOM LINE

Private equity has become hazardous terrain for investors

The tailwind of freakishly loose monetary policy is now over

Solar panels at the Nvidia headquarters in Santa Clara, California. As the AI frenzy boosts demand for processors that can accelerate computing, the company has made a huge killing this year.
THE BOTTOM LINE

Why the AI boom is not a dotcom redux

The simulation of human intelligence in machines has dramatic potential to change the way the economy works

Countries around the world are facing soaring levels of inflation amid tepid growth.
WEALTH & INVESTING

The Great Reversal into a higher inflation environment

Toxic combination of high debt and the shrinkage of central bank balance sheets greatly increases the risk of financial crises