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As the saying goes, when it rains, it pours. And as though a global pandemic and a never-before-seen supply chain debacle weren’t enough, the war between Ukraine and Russia has created a full myriad of problems relating to the cost of living. With the cost of everything from gasoline to ground beef skyrocketing, investors are finding that their stock portfolios are plummeting. Because of this, investors are turning to private equity and hedge funds, with the hope that these will be stronger investments in the future.

Although inflation has been at the forefront of everyone’s mind lately as the price at the pump has blossomed astronomically and everything from chicken legs to lumber has spiked in price, it’s the Stock Market that has created some bad news in the first quarter of 2022. The Stock Market has fallen by $3T, especially hurting those with heavy investments in technology stocks. There is a glimmer of hope, however, in that those who are in the bottom 50% of U.S. income levels are finding themselves in better jobs and

With inflation topping nearly 8% around the world, global citizens continue to reel from the effects of the pandemic, the supply chain woes, and rising prices. Nowhere is the price increase felt more acutely than at the gas pump. But while the European countries have developed specific plans to bolster their common citizens during these economic troubles, the Biden Administration has taken a more lackadaisical approach that is truly hurting the U.S. citizens.

Gone are the days of people retiring from a company where they had worked faithfully for forty or fifty years. In this global, technological economy, that is just not feasible. Within the recent tumultuous job market, many employees have jumped ship for better pay, as businesses struggle to get and retain employees. But with the tides turning and a recession looming, where will a company’s loyalty lie when things get tough?

In a historic move for young soccer players everywhere, the U.S. Soccer Federation announced last week that both the U.S. Men’s National Team and the U.S. Women’s National Team would be paid equally. After years of disparate pay, this is welcome news for the female trailblazers in the sport, as well as the young women watching them. In the contract agreements ratified last week, payment and other revenue will now be equalized.

With so much unrest in the world today, it is no wonder that so many companies are experiencing problems. Just when the nation thought it was rebounding from the pandemic, the war in Ukraine, continued supply chain troubles, and continuing Covid-19 cases in China have taken a toll. The stock market is dropping and taking many companies both large and small with it.

When it comes to economic transactions, foreign investors are often given a closer look because companies are worried about the influence that they might have. And in the case of Elon Musk purchasing Twitter with plans to privatize it, some have wondered if the investors across the pond that are teaming up with Musk could be a cause for a national safety concern. With a $44B price tag for Twitter, Musk has aligned himself with some venture capitalists from other countries, and this has

The importance of football in Great Britain is known around the globe. But what to many is a tradition written in stone is now being chiseled away, one team at a time, as foreign investors are becoming owners of storied teams in the English Premier League. Investors see this as a chance to make money, but football purists are worried that this mercenary notion of their beloved game will end up cheapening the game.

With more freedom of investment and more money in the hands of Chinese investors, the game is changing regarding where interested parties can safely place their investments. With the ongoing lockdowns meant to curb the pandemic, and newfangled family offices being formed by the Chinese, many investors have turned to real estate in Singapore as a place to safely place their money.

As if the political and economic news that we get blasted with every day is not enough, now there is a burgeoning mental health crisis in America’s teens. What many experts attribute to social media, parenting styles, and the growth of teen brains, is being exacerbated by the effects of the pandemic. No matter what the cause, the crisis is clear: America’s teens are not mentally healthy.

Just when Americans thought we were out of the woods after two years of pandemic fallout, economists are warning that a major recession is on its way. With the supply chain still broken and exacerbated by Russia’s war on Ukraine, economic experts are warning that 2022 will bring a recession. This is bad news for Americans who felt like they were just getting back on their feet after the 2020 recession.

Inflation continues to rise, taking the hopes and dreams of small businesses with it, like a hot air balloon breaking free from its tether. Reluctant to raise costs on the consumers they serve, small business owners have turned to innovative solutions to stem the tide of the cost of raw materials that just keeps going up and up. Big box stores can weather increases more easily, but for small businesses, creativity is key.

Commuters and travelers will be surprised to learn that long standing New York City competitors Uber and the taxi industry have combined forces. With these two stalwart companies joining together, riders will experience a more positive experience.

Although many experts had thought we were out of the woods when it came to supply chain hold-ups, having survived over two years of the unprecedented pandemic, the war in Ukraine and Covid-19 have brought supply chain problems to the forefront yet again.

March is the time for women to shine, and there are no more amazing women than those who have started off in difficult situations and worked their way to the top. There are many musicians and celebrities that have started off with nothing and are now millionaires or billionaires. And the best thing about these women is that they try to help other women that come behind them.

Vladimir Putin, after months of planning and talk, invaded Ukraine at the end of February in the most widespread traditional attack on a sovereign nation since World War II. The response of the west has been swift, leveling economic sanctions on Russia that are catapulting them into a banking crisis. The nations of the West are hoping to cause a great recession that will force Putin to back off his Ukrainian pursuits, returning more peace to Ukraine.

Throughout the two-year battle with the pandemic, prices of goods and services have increased astronomically, and the rising inflation around the globe is truly no secret. Automobiles have fueled the inflation increase, and the price of cars themselves has also risen significantly in the last two years. Although the future is looking better, the automotive industry still has a long way to go to get back on the road.

With all the changes that the pandemic has brought into the world, the change to a hybrid work model is seen as a positive. For many people, it brought with it more work/life balance, and employees are interested in continuing this trend. Across the globe, countries have been toying with the idea of a four-day workweek even before the pandemic, and Belgium is the latest country to jump into the mix.

Although it seems like America’s workers have been at the starting blocks again and again, waiting for the gun to go off that will get them back to their offices, Covid-19 flare-ups have prohibited a mass re-entry. But managers and CEOs are optimistic that as the Omicron numbers die, American workers can get back to business.

No one has faced more roadblocks in the last two years than the owners of small businesses. With inflation, supply chain issues, and the “Great Resignation” of workers, small business owners have been tested in a myriad of ways. The good news is that they have been passing the test, employing innovation and resilience to outlast the hurdles laid in their way. If the economy recovers in 2022, it will be because small business owners are in the driver’s seat.

For Americans who struggle to make ends meet, the necessity for prescriptions throws a wrench in the monthly budget. With costs of prescriptions skyrocketing, and no end in sight, consumers are often forced to make difficult decisions when it comes to how to spend their money, and whether they will purchase their much-needed medicine, or they will purchase other necessities like food or rent instead.

Last week the news became official that we at Berkeley Capital have formed a partnership with Cohen Brothers, widening our reach to London and beyond by partnering with this established international placement agent and advisory firm. This brings Robert Cohen and Marcelo Dellavedova officially onboard, and opens a world of opportunities for our clients and investors.

As Russia creeps closer to the Eastern border of Ukraine, the world is watching and waiting to see what will happen. Talks last week with NATO and the United States did nothing to squelch the skirmish, and no one knows quite what Vladimir Putin has in mind. Besides the geopolitical uncertainty, the effect on the stock market is also in question.

With Omicron barreling through the country, now more than ever the issue of vaccination is resurfacing. Truly, most hospitals are reporting that the vast majority of those hospitalized with Covid-19 are unvaccinated, but for those unwilling to get the shot, there is another issue. Many employers are mandating vaccinations for their employees, and for those refusing to get vaccinated, more than their health is currently at stake.

Surprisingly, despite the fact that the pandemic has been raging for two years, many businesses in America are finding economic success. From the bleak picture formulated in March of 2020,  this positive economic news is a welcome surprise for entrepreneurs and workers alike. By changing their business models and leaning in to the niches the pandemic has offered, many companies are meeting with success.

The news is filled with the Omicron variant, which came sweeping through the nation at the most inopportune time, right before the holidays. On the heels of the Delta variant, many people have been forced back into isolation and quarantine. But for holiday shoppers, it was business as usual (and then some), and numbers were good despite the turbulent pandemic news.

For two years, the pandemic has upended life as we know it, but there is one part of the economy that has come out ahead. The private equity realm rebounded from a miserable first half of 2020, and with the ball rolling in a positive direction, they have never looked back. Private equity deals are crushing previous deals and it looks as though the good fortune will continue into the new year.

With the trend toward remote working, office buildings have been left behind while their workers stay home, like dinosaurs rising out of the mist. And with so much of the country still locked in a debate about when and if workers might return to business as usual, the question of what to do with the giant skyscrapers and complexes left behind is of utmost importance.  Odds are that the office lifestyle as we knew it is gone forever, and developers will need to get creative to make the best use

As the pandemic continues to surge its way around the globe and back again, creating new variants and disrupting everything from daily life to the supply chain, it has also dipped its hand into the inflation and cost-of-living sector. The cost of everything from crude oil to simple groceries has skyrocketed around the world, and the ramifications of inflation have been felt in many of the world’s most popular cities.

For workers who have spent a lifetime paying into a pension program, the countdown to retirement is usually a joyful time. But with the unpredictability of the economic world, especially in terms of the ramifications of the pandemic, and past risky financial moves by employers managing pension accounts, the idyllic retirement scene many workers have hoped for might not come to fruition.