Conflict, Energy Crisis, Rising Inflation and Interest Rates Continue to Unsettle Markets

What a year 2022 has been. Certainly not one to celebrate.

To summarise the year as far as Industry Watch goes – in March the focus in most of the world switched from COVID to the war in Ukraine. In June, as a result of the war, we began to experience a global shortage of fuel, food, fertiliser, aluminium, other commodities and products, leading to price escalation.

By September the war was at a peak, inflation was gaining momentum, interest rates continued to rise and recession seemed inevitable. In the three months from end September, the war in Ukraine has continued unabated, and the fuel crisis has worsened. The latter, as well as stoking inflation, is bringing great hardship to the less well off in many countries.