The biggest themes of 2022 are not questions about, say, market direction. Rather, we highlight the waves of change in society that have momentum and will drive prices and risk. Our top-10 themes are spread across economics, finance, corporates, and government. They all exist against the backdrop of covid and they are all being changed by it.

While some commentators worry about stagflation in 2022, it is far more likely that the economy will encounter overheating risks.

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The covid outlook for the northern hemisphere winter is deeply concerning. Yet there are credible reasons to be optimistic about how the pandemic may evolve in 2022.

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The breath-taking recovery of the labour market is stirring inflationary concerns. That could be amplified by workforce upskilling since covid.

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Investors have not needed to care about bloated companies until now. After all, for the last decade or so, corporate returns were juiced by rising profit margins and super-cheap debt.

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In 2022, we are going to have a lot of stuff. Everywhere. Supply chain disruptions, coupled with an imperfect market, are likely to lead retailers and manufactures to being stuck with abundant inventories.

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Like it or not, US companies will likely face tougher competition in 2022. The rest of the western world is likely to follow suit.

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“Will the stock market crash in 2022 as the Fed tapers and likely raises rates?” While many investors fret over this question, the forgotten theme that may accompany the end of free money is not whether stock markets will crash.

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Against the backdrop of rising geo-political tensions between several countries, 2022 is shaping up to be the year when tensions over the potential for the militarisation of space become a top geo-political negotiation topic.

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There is a clear move towards a cashless society (as a mean of payment) and CBDCs is set to progressively replace cash. The question is no longer « if » but « when » and « how ».

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Amongst the many themes turbocharged by the covid catalyst, ESG bond issuance is one of the most prominent. In 2022, ESG bond issuance is set to go mainstream. Investors have taken notice.

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