St. James's Place CIO warns against market panic: 'Geopolitical shocks strengthen portfolios‘

Markets are in turmoil. War in the Middle East. Energy prices surging. The IMF cutting global growth forecasts. Stagflation fears rising. Every instinct says sell, hide, wait. But history says something different. Justin Onuekwusi, Chief Investment Officer at St. James's Place — the UK's largest wealth manager with £220 billion in assets under management — breaks down what 80 years of geopolitical shocks actually tell us about market performance, and the three strategies sophisticated investors are using right now to build resilient portfolios. In this conversation: — Why markets outperform 6–12 months after major geopolitical shocks — The stagflation risk quietly rising — and how to hedge it — Why the Japanese yen could be your most overlooked portfolio tool — The hidden danger of private markets most investors never see coming Justin Onuekwusi spoke at Spear's 500 Live, the premier live event for private client professionals and leading figures from the private wealth and family office ecosystem. The 2026 edition took place on 6 May at The Savoy in London. Spear's 500 Live was presented in association with our partners: the Charities Aid Foundation, CMB Monaco, Guernsey Finance, HCA Healthcare UK, Payne Hicks Beach, Riverstone, Scott Dunn Private and Stewardship. Links: Full article: https://spearswms.com/awards-events/s... Explore more articles at Spear’s Magazine: https://spearswms.com/ Subscribe to Spear’s Magazine: https://spearswms.com/subscribe/ #investing #markets #geopolitics #wealth #portfoliomanagement #inflation #HNW #StJamesPlace