Moving Markets

US equities surged again yesterday, closing off their intraday highs but nevertheless achieving new records. US PPI data confirmed that growth is slowing, providing more of the data that the Fed needs to start cutting rates again – markets will now scrutinise today’s CPI data for more clues. Oracle’s near 36% rally yesterday was sparked by astonishing cloud demand numbers. Asian tech also drove ma...

Stocks in the US hit another all-time high on expectations that the Federal Reserve will fight the slowdown in jobs growth with interest rate cuts. US inflation data out today and tomorrow will be the next test for markets. The Anglo/Teck ‘merger-of-equals’ creates a premier global player in copper and critical minerals. Today, we are joined by Mathieu Racheter, Head of Equity Strategy, who explai...

French Prime Minister Bayrou lost the confidence vote yesterday, triggering the collapse of his government. European markets had no chance to react, as the decision came after trading ended. The political uncertainty adds fresh strain to the eurozone, where stock markets actually started the week on a high. Speaking of highs, the Nasdaq hit a fresh record, driven by strength in tech and AI-related...

The Nikkei 225 was up around 1.5% and the Topix hit a record high this morning after Japan’s prime minister resigned over the weekend. It’s hoped that a new regime should provide greater longer-term policy and political stability, and a more conducive pro-growth environment for the equities market. Asia’s stock markets rallied after the US jobs report on Friday provided further justification for d...

The S&P 500 is trading at fresh all-time highs ahead of today’s crucial US non-farm payrolls report, which iswidely seen as the final piece of the puzzle that could give the Federal Reserve the go-ahead to resume cutting interest rates. Meanwhile, Asian markets are rising, buoyed by positive trade developments out of Japan and broader optimism in the region. Joining us today is Tim Gagie, Head...

Google avoiding worst-case penalties in its antitrust case lifted tech stocks yesterday, which drove the good performance of both the Nasdaq Composite and the S&P 500. Meanwhile, US job openings data provided a boost to US Treasuries, fuelling hopes of a September rate cut. Asia joined the rally, with the notable exception of China and Hong Kong. The latter had news specific to Nidec Corp to d...

Global long-term government bond yields spike amid renewed concerns over fiscal sustainability. This has put pressure on equities, which declined broadly – though certain sectors held up better, including luxury stocks. In the US, both major indices ended the session lower, though they recovered somewhat from their intraday lows. Meanwhile, gold emerged as a key beneficiary, climbing to new all-ti...

With US markets closed yesterday for a public holiday, attention was firmly on European markets, where equities began the new month on a positive note. Two sectors led the gains: defence and healthcare. Meanwhile, European bond markets weakened slightly, weighed down by ongoing concerns over France’s political stability and fiscal outlook. Overnight in Asia, markets traded mixed as investors diges...

August saw strong gains in global equities, particularly in the Dow Jones, as well as indices in both China, and Japan. Gold has hit a four-month high nearing USD 3,500 per ounce this morning, driven by concerns over the Federal Reserve’s independence and uncertainty around US tariffs. Silver is breaking the USD 40 an ounce level – for the first time since 2011 – boosted by supply constraints and...

Yesterday saw a flurry of economic data releases, accompanied by significant political developments. The US economy demonstrated stronger-than-expected resilience in the second quarter, expanding at a revised annualised rate of 3.3%, while recent labour market figures suggest a supportive backdrop. Meanwhile, Donald Trump’s attempt to dismiss Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, followed by her dec...

French stocks have staged a modest recovery following the recent sell-off, while government bond spreads relative to neighbouring Germany have continued to widen. Meanwhile, the S&P 500 reached a new record high, as investors awaited Nvidia's Q2 earnings report after the market close. Despite exceeding analyst expectations, Nvidia's share price declined in after-hours trading. To discuss how c...

French political uncertainty sparks market jitters, sending European equities tumbling, with the CAC 40 falling a further 1.7% yesterday. In contrast, US stocks buck the trend despite concerns over the Fed's independence. Today, market participants will focus on upcoming corporate earnings, in particular Nvidia's quarterly results. And we have Dario Messi, Head of Fixed Income Research, on the sho...

The US President attempted to sack Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook yesterday – a move that saw the dollar fall and gold gain. These moves were somewhat reversed when Governor Cook’s lawyer called the action illegal and lacking proper process and Cook vowed not to quit. Trump was also in the news for threatening “200% tariffs or something” on China if it does not export rare-earth magnets...

Global markets have rallied following Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell's dovish speech on Friday that opened the door to interest rate cuts. In response, stocks, bonds, gold, and crypto assets surged, while the US dollar has fallen. Asian equity markets are following Wall Street this morning, led by shares in Hong Kong. The US government will acquire a 9.9% stake in Intel. Looking ahead to t...

US stocks extended their losses amid trade tensions and mixed corporate earnings. Stronger-than-expected PMI data and warnings from Walmart, the US retail giant, that Trump's tariffs are driving up costs, have heightened inflation concerns and lifted yields. As markets are looking for direction, investors eagerly await Federal Reserve Chairman Powell's keynote speech at Jackson Hole, seeking guida...

The Nasdaq 100 fell as much as 1.5% before recovering to close just 0.6% lower. Markets remain on edge ahead of key events, including Jay Powell's speech at the Jackson Hole Symposium tomorrow, whilst the USD remains unchanged and gold rises amid concerns over Fed independence. UK inflation surged to an 18-month high and government bonds rallied, lifting large-cap UK stocks, whilst Asian markets s...

While major European stock markets experienced a cautiously optimistic trading session, buoyed by hopes of de-escalation in Ukraine, the main US indices ended the day in negative territory, led by declines in large-cap technology stocks. Nevertheless, a notable 70% of S&P 500 constituents managed to finish higher, as investors looked ahead to the Jackson Hole symposium, which begins tomorrow,...

President Zelenskyy’s second meeting at the White House delivered more smiles than his first but resulted in expectations rather than deals. President Trump has announced that he will now set up a face-to-face meeting for Ukraine and Russia’s leaders, and President Zelenskyy has made security guarantees a ‘starting point for ending the war’. Financial markets are breathing a small sigh of relief a...

Major equity markets surge to new highs, driven by easing trade tensions, robust US earnings, and expectations of US interest rate cuts even as US inflation remains a concern. This trend is also reflected in US investment-grade credit spreads, which have reached their lowest level since 1998. Meanwhile, Indian markets are up over 1% today, following news of a planned cut in consumption tax. Lookin...

Yesterday’s hotter-than-expected US inflation data prompted a reassessment of rate cut expectations, driving yields and the US dollar higher. Although most stocks fell, the S&P 500 managed to eke out a marginal gain, largely due tothe strong performance of major tech companies. Notably, Intel’s stock jumped on news that the Trump administration was considering taking a stake in the beleaguered...

Benchmark equity indices in the US, Italy, Spain, and the UK have surged to new highs, fuelled by a benign US inflation report and Germany's inflation data confirming a sub-2% reading. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent says US interest rates could be 150 to 175 basis points lower. Bitcoin has hit a new all-time high, with Ether also close to its record high. Japanese shares are down on a stronge...

The latest US inflation figures for July sent stocks soaring to new all-time highs once again. With a 25 basis-point rate cut in September now widely anticipated by market participants, expectations are running high. In contrast, European markets underperformed due to disappointing economic data from Germany. Joining us today are Dario Messi, Head of Fixed Income Research, and Mathieu Racheter, He...

The main question on everyone’s mind is whether today's US inflation report will corroborate the narrative of easing inflation, potentially paving the way for a possible Federal Reserve rate cut in September. A stronger-than-expected inflation figure would serve as a reality check for investors. Meanwhile, geopolitical developments, such as the upcoming meeting between Trump and Putin, and trade n...

US stocks are on a tear with the S&P 500 trading just a whisker below its all-time high and the Nasdaq shining thanks to renewed enthusiasm around tech and artificial intelligence stocks. European stocks are also having a good run with banks in the lead. However, Switzerland has been lagging after the hefty 39% levies on Swiss exports to the US took effect on Thursday. This week’s inflation da...

Once again, investors are facing a flood of news to digest – from tariff updates, such as Japan’s announcement that the US will end the stacking of universal tariffs and cut levies on cars; to central bank developments, including the Bank of England’s rate decision and the appointment of Stephen Miran to the Federal Reserve Board of Governors; to company-specific headlines, such as Eli Lilly’s lat...