Both we and markets were surprised by the turn of events concerning Greece over the weekend. Our central assumption had been that an agreement would be cobbled together as deadlines began to bite, and we didn’t expect the Greek government to call a referendum; the subsequent sharp fall in European stock markets shows that other investors had a similar view. The question now is whether the reaction in financial markets is simply the volatility that arises when unexpected events occur, or whether there is a risk of a permanent loss of capital. We are taking an optimistic stance, expecting company share prices to recover; we don’t believe that events in Greece will derail the economic recovery in Europe and the West, for the reasons set out in this note. Meanwhile, we are likely to see more tragic scenes from Athens on the television news, as the crisis impacts everyday life.
