Do you know what a Black Swan is?
I'm not talking about the long necked bird.
A black swan is an event or occurrence that deviates beyond what is normally expected of a situation and is extremely difficult to predict.
It's a term that was popularised by Nassim Nicholas Taleb, a finance professor, writer and former Wall Street trader.
Black swan events are typically random and are unexpected and that are sometimes called X Factors and mess up your best laid plans.
The world isn’t predictable at the best of times – but currently the geopolitical tea leaves are getting even more difficult to read.
In the following infographic from Sprott Physical Bullion Trusts, we explain the particular geopolitical risks that have the world’s most elite investors concerned today – and what moves they are making to protect themselves from black swans.
As a result, the following potential geopolitical risks are at the top of the agenda for experts and top investors:
Domestic risks:
Unpredictability of the Trump administration, government inaction, a trade war with China, and NAFTA renegotiations
International risks:
Economic nationalism, further “exits” from the EU, Russia and China seeking to assert authority, terrorism, escalation of Middle East conflicts, and North Korea’s nuclear ambitions.