Investors appear slightly torn between renewed optimism surrounding the pandemic and concerns surrounding the recent stagflation narrative, whereby many economic areas are seeing rising consumer prices, coupled with slower growth. Following the recent sharp increase in US inflation and robust labour market performance, investors have braced for an announcement that the Fed will soon begin tapering its large scale quantitative easing programme at some point this year. Also Germans will head to the polls on Sunday 26th September, and we’re set for a fairly significant political shift, because after 16 years in office, Chancellor Angela Merkel will be stepping down as Germany’s leader.