As we entered 2022, even the onset of the omicron variant failed to shake markets’ optimism. With much of the world learning to cope with an endemic COVID-19 and rates set to rise, the stage was set for strong global growth. The last three months, though, have been less rosy than we might have hoped. From the Russia/Ukraine conflict to inflation surprises, investors would be hard-pressed to say they were anticipating this level of macro uncertainty. Chief Investment Officer Tony Roth sat down with Wilmington Trust’s Head of Investment Strategy, Meghan Shue, to talk us through the investment implications of the wider landscape.

Without a battlefield in the traditional sense on which to retaliate against Ukraine supporters like the U.S. and Europe, Russia may be taking to cyberspace. Cyber attacks can be a tremendously powerful tool in Putin’s arsenal. Chief Investment Officer Tony Roth and Mazars Principal and Cybersecurity Practice Leader Paul Truitt, look at the potential risks to our infrastructure and overall digital security.

As most of the world shuns Russia and its oil in the wake of the Ukraine invasion, the implications are vast for reduced global supply and skyrocketing gas prices. Will the harsh reality of international energy codependence spur the transition to green and clean? Which solutions like increased drilling and Keystone XL are in—or not in—the pipeline and why? To walk us through this and more, Chief Investment Officer Tony Roth speaks with Tom Seng, director of The University of Tulsa's School of Energy Economics, Policy & Commerce and author of Energy Trading & Hedging: A Non-technical Guide.

Twenty-four hours after Russia invaded Ukraine, Wilmington Trust’s Chief Investment Officer Tony Roth hosted a client webinar, “A Dark Day for Europe.” The World Reacts. Joined by Chief Economist Luke Tilley, Head of Investment Strategy Meghan Shue, and Senior Portfolio Manager Mark Horst, the team set out the critical issues at stake in this ever-fluid situation. Listen to learn what is expected for economies, inflation, and portfolios.

It was hardly a coincidence that Russia’s President Putin waited until after the Beijing Olympics to invade Ukraine—a move that was clearly a courtesy to China’s President Xi Jinping. Under his leadership, the Chinese Communist Party exerts nearly unfettered control and instant ability to implement, leaving markets to simultaneously understand what’s happened and anticipate what’s next. What do investors need to know? Chief Investment Officer Tony Roth is joined by Chinese domestic and foreign policy expert Dr. Elizabeth Economy, a senior fellow at the Hoover Institution at Stanford University and author of The World According to China.

“Global resource disorder.” It’s a term the team coined to convey the severe labor market shortage which—more than any other economic factor—has brought about a massive breakdown in the normally well-oiled global supply chain. Chief Investment Officer Tony Roth and Head of Investment Strategy Meghan Shue explore how companies are pivoting in the face of these challenges by deploying a broad spectrum of technological solutions, and how we are managing client portfolios in light of our expectations for 2022.

The health crisis of the past two years has resulted in acute dislocations among key pockets of the economy, leading to a cycle that is unprecedented. We face inflation that’s at its highest in nearly four decades and the tightest-ever labor market. Chief Investment Officer Tony Roth and Chief Economist Luke Tilley discuss the disconnects within the economy, the anticipated trajectory for inflation, and much more.

Employees and job-seekers are very much in the driver’s seat in today’s high-demand low-supply labor market—a severe issue punctuated by the November jobs report. And the labor participation rate remains a critical factor in trying to dimension the long-term trajectory of markets and inflation. What will it take to get people back to work? How is business innovating to attract talent and leveraging technology to close labor gaps? Chief Investment Officer Tony Roth discusses the widespread impacts of the tightest-ever labor market with ZipRecruiter’s Chief Economist, Julia Pollak.

Blockchain, the brains behind cryptocurrencies, is a concept that once seemed like the stuff of science fiction. But there is much more that blockchain can do beyond supporting digital currency. It is the building block (pun intended) of programmable ledgers that will define the way forward for complex digital financial transactions. CIO Tony Roth explores blockchain’s vast potential with Paul Brody, EY Global Blockchain Leader.

When the Colonial Pipeline was hacked last spring, it forced the company’s only complete operational shutdown in 57 years, ceasing its normal daily transport of 2.5 million barrels of fuel for five days. This is just one instance of widespread cybercrime in the past 12 months. Online attackers are getting increasingly sophisticated, finding new ways to outsmart our defenses. Chief Investment Officer Tony Roth sits down with cybersecurity expert Morgan Wright to discuss what businesses and individuals can do to stay safe from ongoing cyberthreats.