THE upheaval over the past seven months has caused great consternation in political circles. However, it is most interesting to note how the worldwide business community has reacted to Brexit and the Trump US presidential win.
Even a cursory examination of world stock markets is both surprising and illuminating. Following the UK Brexit vote, for example, stock markets worldwide had barely a hiccough before moving forward apace. The sharp fall in the value of sterling only benefited UK stock market indices.
There was a marked retreat in October when the world and their aunty believed that Hillary Clinton was about to lead the most powerful nation on earth. When Donald Trump was victorious, the markets surged forward again, a process which has continued into 2017 with only some blips following Theresa May’s hard Brexit stance which have since seen a recovery.
It can now be argued that all the predictions of a worldwide recession should be treated, at best, with a pinch of salt; and that hard headed business professionals are always capable of looking beyond the political rhetoric.