Five charts to start your day

The collapse of Lehman Brothers occurred 15 years ago, yet when the anniversary passed last Friday, there was scarcely a mention. This seems peculiar given that it was undoubtedly one of the most disruptive events in recent memory, having a profound impact on asset prices.

Following the bank's collapse, the Great Financial Crisis erupted in full force. Beyond the immediate and acute economic pain it caused, we witnessed a radical shift in monetary policy. In less than a year, interest rates were slashed to their lowest levels ever, just a hair's breadth away from zero percent. Government bond yields in many developed markets eventually dipped into negative territory.

Central banks around the world adopted a novel approach to inject additional liquidity into the system, known as quantitative easing. It truly was quite an unusual period. Equities, bonds, and real estate all rose in tandem, buoyed by all the newly created money circulating through the economy.

This is the focus of today's first chart.

Coming up:

1. The S&P 500 after the Financial Crisis

2. Oil edges closer to $95 a barrel

3. The US lost 4.1 million days of work last month to strikes

4. Asking prices for property in the UK continue to fall

5. US Treasuries see record levels of inflows in 2023

As always, the first chart is for free. If you would like to look at the others, consider become a paid subscriber.

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1. The S&P 500 after the Financial Crisis

Lehman Brothers collapsed 15 years ago. The anniversary was barely noticed last Friday. But it happened. Yes it did! Along with the Great Financial Crisis. It had a profound effect on the US stock market, which you can see in this data visualisation.