Annual Forecasting 2026

Tuesday 13 January 2026 | 18:15 - 20:30 | Evening Event

2025 has been a year to remember.  A new US presidency has brought a new world order in terms of trade. Tariffs, which were only spoken about in offices in a quiet tone, have become one of the quasi-daily topics due to their magnitude and frequent rate of change. To add to uncertainty a change in the Fed is in the cards. This all comes on the back of amazingly fast developments in AI, disrupting industry after industry. Markets, on the other hand, seem do display confidence with record valuations.

Share your thoughts with us at our flagship Annual Forecasting event. This year’s distinguished guests who will guide the conversation include Helen Thomas, CEO of Blonde Money, and Edward Smith, Co-Chief Investment Officer at Rathbones.

Quantcube will also introduce us to nowcasting with alternative data insights.

But thoughts and discussions are not enough, we’re taking it one step further - you will be entrusted with the task of devising a global portfolio in small groups, and you’ll then present your 2026 predictions to your peers.

This is your moment to candidly demonstrate your outlook for 2026 and gauge the room’s sentiment. Chatham House Rules goes without saying, so express yourself freely!

After you’ve battled it out, continue the conversation over drinks to build out your network. You never know they may provide valuable support in what could potentially be a challenging year ahead.

This event sells out every year - so book your place well in advance to avoid disappointment. 

Timings

Registration: 17:35

Event: 18:00- 19:30

Networking: 19:30 - 20:30

Speakers

Edward Smith CFA, co-chief investment officer, Rathbone Investment Management

Edward is Rathbone Investment Management’s co-chief investment officer. He has joint responsibility for Rathbones’ research department and the evolution and performance of its central investment process. Day-to-day, he focuses on asset allocation and macroeconomic research, risk analytics, fixed income and currency, cross-asset thought leaderships and external communications. He is Chair of the Strategic Asset Allocation Committee and the Global Sector Committee, and co-Chair of the Portfolio Construction Committee. Edward presents frequently to clients and the media on the economic and financial market outlook. He is a regular guest on CNBC, Bloomberg TV and Sky News.

Edward is a Chartered Financial Analyst, and has served on the continuing education committee of CFA UK, chaired working groups that draft CFA UK’s responses to consultations, and contributed to learning plans. He is a published expert on risk management for high net worth individuals, a member of the Society of Professional Economists, and he has an MA from the University of Oxford and an MSc with distinction in Economic History from the London School of Economics and Political Science (LSE).

Helen Thomas, CEO of BlondeMoney

Helen is the CEO and Founder of BlondeMoney, the macroeconomic research consultancy that focuses on how political risk affects the markets.  

Helen has twenty years of experience in banking, fund management and politics. She was an adviser to George Osborne, the former Chancellor of the Exchequer, during 2008 and ran the Financial Markets Reform Programme at Policy Exchange before going on to be a partner in a Global Macro hedge fund and Head of Currency Alpha at SSGA. She was a board member of CFA UK, is a Freeman of the City of London, and she has a degree in Philosophy, Politics and Economics from Christ Church, Oxford University.

Please note if you require special assistance or have specific access requirements, please contact the events team at events@cfauk.org