About Bill Blain

ill Blain is a published author on financial markets, contributor and editor of the Morning Porridge. He is a well-known market commentor, and a practicing investment banker in the alternative private debt and equity sector. His day job combines his role as Strategist for Shard Capital, the leading investment management firm, and heading the firm’s Alternatives Group – financing Private debt and equity deals, and direct lending transactions. His clients include sovereign wealth funds, hedge funds, insurance and pension managers, credit funds and family offices.

UK Election Special – The real winner was Reform, and that will have massive consequences.

Labour got a landslide, but did not win the UK election – the Tories lost it. The result is not what it appears to be…. The real winner was Reform, and that could have massive future consequences for Markets and the UK economy.

UK Election Special – The real winner was Reform, and that will have massive consequences.2024-07-05T09:08:28+01:00

A Tale of Two Cities; Washington and London

The UK election will contain few surprises but leaves the new government massive problems to solve. Biden’s inevitable withdrawal from the US Presidential race adds new uncertainty to the political mix – and may obscure some the critical economic issues.

A Tale of Two Cities; Washington and London2024-07-04T08:00:28+01:00

Beryl and Potatoes – Canaries in a coal mine.

Beryl is the fastest, strongest and earliest hurricane to hit the Caribbean. The price of the humble potato will see substantial inflation as miserable harvests come in. What do these two apparently unconnected events tell us about inflation and risk?

Beryl and Potatoes – Canaries in a coal mine.2024-07-02T08:16:24+01:00

Blain’s Morning Porridge July 1st 2024:  Plus Ca Change; Politics – what a stramash…

At a time when markets crave stability and uncertainty, the political picture looks increasingly messy. No problem. These things have a habit of resolving themselves faster than we expect. Bear my mantra in mind: “Markets are never as bad as we fear, but seldom as good as we hope.”

Blain’s Morning Porridge July 1st 2024:  Plus Ca Change; Politics – what a stramash…2024-07-01T07:54:59+01:00

Bank Stress Tests or a Chocolate Tea Pot – which is more useful?

The market is distracted by the up, down, shake it all about noise in Tech. Watch banks! The US Fed passed all 31 major US Banks in its annual bank stress test. I can’t think of anything that could scare me more…

Bank Stress Tests or a Chocolate Tea Pot – which is more useful?2024-06-27T07:55:31+01:00

The Importance of Reading When Everyone Else is TikToking.

We live in a incurious financial age. Today’s financial generation has some very distorted notions of how markets work. You either go with their flow… or take the red pill, read copiously and figure it all out for yourself.

The Importance of Reading When Everyone Else is TikToking.2024-06-26T07:57:42+01:00

To Recover the UK must Exorcise the Ghost of Liz Truss!

The UK election is the most important in decades, but the debate on policy and the future is trapped in the minutiae of the financial orthodoxy of costed and funded policy tweaks. The malign ghost of Liz Truss and the Trusterf*ck haunts markets like a bad smell. It must be exorcised!

To Recover the UK must Exorcise the Ghost of Liz Truss!2024-06-25T07:05:59+01:00

Europe’s Fragile Bond markets could be the spark for the next conflagration

Watch the bond markets! In bonds there is truth. The current political ructions across Europe highlight the fragility of Europe’s cobbled together bond markets. If they break, the outlook for markets will be… interesting (and not in a good way.)

Europe’s Fragile Bond markets could be the spark for the next conflagration2024-06-24T07:10:29+01:00

The Global Macro Outlook: what to think about over the summer holidays…

Next week I will be either stuck in the queues at Heathrow, or sailing round Greece. Time to unwind and think about the state of the World. Or… maybe not ruin my break by scaring myself! Some thoughts on Global Macro.

The Global Macro Outlook: what to think about over the summer holidays…2024-06-13T08:11:51+01:00
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