On the bond markets, performances were supported by the reductions in key rates decided by Western central banks, while the US dollar moved closer to parity with the European currency and the ounce of gold reached record highs. historic highs.
Five opportunities
The first sessions of 2025 did not bring major upheavals. However, there is no shortage of concerns for the coming months, whether it is the risk of a further rise in interest rates, geopolitical tensions, the customs tariffs promised by Donald Trump or the consequences of the increase in public debt in the face of the need to finance the climate transition.
At Scottish manager Baillie Gifford, Stuart Dunbar has highlighted five big opportunities in the stock markets for the coming years. “Fundamentally, the growth of the world’s best companies does not depend on the evolution of GDP. They create value by changing the way people live and consume, and by investing for the long term in innovations that will allow them to outpace their competitors.
Stock market review: the United States beat Europe again in 2024
It highlights five “inevitable” trends that will transform our watch and generate opportunities for investors, in order to escape the negative news that is constantly assailing investors. “In many aging societies, the shrinking workforce is leading to labor shortages that are accelerating the development of robotics, a world that brings together hardware manufacturers, but also suppliers of sensors and communication technologies. artificial intelligence that manages complex production and allows robots to collaborate with humans.
Artificial intelligence should also enable significant advances in the field of health. “Treatments for previously untreatable chronic illnesses and conditions are now within reach”. The storage of energy produced by renewable sources is another trend with significant growth prospects. “The modernization of infrastructure in developed countries is necessary to maintain the level of productivity of our economies”. Finally, autonomous delivery systems supported by AI will also constitute an important area of development in the field of logistics.
