In this video update Ben Lofthouse, Head of Global Equity Income, examines recent market performance, discusses where he sees opportunities and risks for investors, assesses the impact of Brexit and US-China trade discussions, and provides his outlook for the rest of 2019.

Key takeaways

• Despite significant uncertainty global equity markets rebounded in the first quarter of 2019, a backdrop that favoured high quality defensive stocks rather than a value investment style

• Dividends remain consistent on a global basis and payouts have exceeded expectations

• Unemployment trends are likely to be a key focus and, if expectations for a slowdown in global growth do not materialise, markets could experience some rotation