Martin Gilbert: Covid-19 and unmasking the reality of the situation

Overcoming the challenges ahead

"The wise investor recognises that success is a process of continually seeking answers to new questions."

A pertinent observation from my all-time fund management hero, Sir John Templeton. As lockdown restrictions are gradually being lifted across Europe and economies enter recession, there is much discussion as to whether we will experience a V-shaped, U-shaped or L-shaped recovery. However, given the unprecedented nature of the Covid-19 crisis, no one knows definitively the degree to which economies will bounce back, how long it will take and the amount of scarring that will be left behind. What is for sure is the economic landscape will be very different. Governments and central ban...