We look at the correlation between disposable household incomes in Europe and the US and housing rents, why the market is like it is, and what it means for investors.

Recent weeks have seen the UK and Europe’s macro environment improve – in large part due to easing fears around high energy prices.

Recent losses have intensified as stock markets around the world endured one of their toughest weeks of the year so far. With investors focusing once again on central bank attempts to curb rampant inflation, this week’s key events were policy decisions from the United States Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Bank of England (BoE) – in each case, however, officials offered little in the way of positive news.