Hannah Nairn

Economists use the 1930 Smoot-Hawley Tariff Act as a case study for protectionism’s adverse impacts. Yet the geopolitical consequences were far more profound, damaging America’s allies and provoking its enemies.

Clarence Hatry was a company promoter whose bankruptcy rattled markets just before the Great Crash of 1929. His punishment was swift and severe, but Hatry was resilient and ultimately found redemption – as a bookseller with a royal warrant.

We explore the intersection of natural risk with geopolitics and financial markets. Natural risk comes in many guises, from pandemic at the acute end of the spectrum to long-term challenges from a changing climate at the other. All matter for investors.