Not Chicken Feed, UnTethering Crypto, Wither Defaults
- Chris Haffenden
The effects of Brexit on businesses are somewhat masked by the covid epidemic. But on Wednesday - aptly the fifth anniversary of the referendum result - Boparan management outlined that it wasn’t chicken feed, saying that it presented structural challenges for their business. They are unlikely to be alone, other chickens could be coming home to roost. The pandemic, and the responses to it are creating seismic shifts in the UK labour market, whose implications are only now starting to become apparent.
After last week’s excitement on dot plots, markets were better behaved this week, with Fed governors going out of their way to reassure investors that they are doves not hawks. At time of writing, equity prices and risk assets are all close to all-time highs/tights. European HY saw a blow-out issuance week, with InPost, Poland’s Amazon Lockers clone, the standout pricing a debut BB rated deal at a lowly 2.25%.
But in Crypto, all is not well.