MARKETS HOLD STEADY AS US FOREIGN ADVENTURES DOMINATE THE START OF 2026
This week markets were remarkably calm in the face of dramatic US intervention in Venezuela. President Donald Trump’s Caribbean adventures
had little immediate impact on global markets.
Winter Outlook
The end of the quarter saw chancellor Kwasi Kwarteng’s mini-Budget cause sterling to fluctuate wildly and UK government bonds to plummet.
Read The Full ArticleDECEMBER HIKE IN JAPAN APPEARS BAKED IN AS MARKETS ARE NERVOUS OF FURTHER TIGHTENING
This week the more aggressive tone from the Bank of Japan sent ripples through global government bond markets as the central bank and the new prime minister appear to have different views on the appropriate direction for interest rates.
Read The Full ArticleBOND MARKETS APPEAR CONTENT WITH THE CHANCELLOR’S SHORT-TERM BALANCING ACT
This week’s budget felt a bit of a non-event after the Chancellor’s recent u-turn on income tax and all the details were accidentally leaked in advance.
Read The Full ArticleMARKETS RALLY OVER US-CHINA THAW, FED RATE CUT AND TECH BONANZA
This week was a busy one in geopolitics, finance and markets. President Donald Trump zipped through East Asia on a whistle-stop tour, wrapping things up with a handshake moment in Beijing.
Read The Full ArticleJAPAN LEADS GLOBAL EQUITIES HIGHER AS OIL RISES SHARPLY
This week Japanese equities continued their strong run as Sanae Takaichi became the country’s first female prime minister.
Read The Full ArticleGLOBAL EQUITY MARKETS RECEIVE A REMINDER THAT US AND CHINA TENSION HAS NOT GONE AWAY
This week markets were reminded that the power struggle between the US and China remains unresolved. Markets have ignored tariffs over the
last few months, with sentiment being driven by the growth of AI/tech stocks, despite growing concerns over valuations in this sector.
UK LOOKS TO INDIA FOR GROWTH AS INVESTORS HOPE NEXT JAPANESE PM WILL BOOST EQUITIES
This week the prime minister has been in India trying to improve business links following the signing of the UK/India trade deal earlier this year.
Read The Full ArticleEQUITY AND BOND INVESTORS APPEAR UNCONCERNED BY US GOVERNMENT SHUTDOWN
This week there was little reaction to the US government’s shutdown. US equities were part of the global rally in risk assets and US government
bonds also gained, as yields fell, as part of the general move up in developed government bond prices.
TRUMP DRIVES SHORT-TERM MOVEMENTS BUT LONG-TERM EFFECTS LIKELY TO BE MORE SIGNIFICANT
This week the impact of US politics has been very much in evidence. Donald Trump’s intensified support for Ukraine has helped provide a bump for
defence stocks, along with repeated Russian incursions into Nato airspace.