Moving Markets

Trade tensions took centre stage again, as President Donald Trump delayed the imposition of 50% tariffs on the EU until early July. The move sparked a relief rally in European markets, while the US dollar fell to its lowest level since 2022. Trading volumes remained subdued due to holidays in the US and UK markets. Meanwhile, Japan's long-term yields declined as the Ministry of Finance is apparent...

US President Donald Trump says he has agreed to postpone the imposition of 50% tariffs on European Union imports until 9 July as the EU continues to negotiate a trade deal with Washington. European equity futures are higher on the news. Mensur Pocinci, Head of Technical Analysis, offers his thoughts from a technical perspective on the current US dollar weakness and the steepening Treasury yield cu...

Yesterday’s trading session saw significant volatility in Treasury yields after the US House of Representatives approved President Trump’s major tax reform bill. This occurred amidst mixed macroeconomic data from the US. European stocks closed lower, while key US indices finished the day mixed around the zero line. Meanwhile, in Asia, one of the top stories overnight was the first phone call betwe...

US markets began yesterday's trading session on a weak footing, with sentiment deteriorating further as the day progressed. Concerns over a further widening of the US budget deficit, coupled with a disappointing US Treasury auction, led to a rise in yields and credit spreads, which in turn weighed on equity prices. In contrast, European markets defied the trend, with the German DAX index reaching...

While European equities had another strong day yesterday, US equities took a breather following an impressive rally from their April lows. US Treasury yields near recent highs, along with the fiscal situation in the US, remain concerns for investors and weigh on sentiment and the dollar. A report about a potential attack by Israel on Iran’s nuclear facilities supported flows into traditional safe-...

US stocks managed to eke out a slim gain yesterday, with the S&P 500 index notching its sixth consecutive winning session, as investors sought to look past the Moody’s downgrade of the United States’ credit rating. Meanwhile, stock markets in the Asia-Pacific region are trading in the green after China cut its lending rate, which has fuelled some broad-based up moves across the region. Also on...

The Nasdaq surged 7% last week, driven by the US-China trade truce and President Trump's USD 2 trillion Middle East deals. Novo Nordisk's CEO resigned, and Moody's downgraded the US credit rating due to rising deficits. In China, retail sales grew 5.1% year-on-year, despite slowing industrial output. Mensur Pocinci, Head of Technical Analysis, notes that the short-term US equity market recovery re...

Global equities ended Thursday’s trading session mostly higher, with defensive and defence stocks leading the gains while big tech was mostly lower. This came while Walmart’s CEO warned yesterday that tariffs would force it to raise prices this year - even after the recent decrease in duties on China - and data included softer US producer prices as well as underwhelming retail sales. Dario Messi,...

European markets closed lower on Wednesday after the positive sentiment induced by the weekend’s interim trade deal between China and the US seemed to run of steam. The Dow Jones closed in the red, although the S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite closed the day slightly higher, mainly driven by the mega-cap names and a few select beneficiaries of President Trump’s trade deals in Doha. US Treasury pri...

US markets rallied on the back of a US-China trade truce and lower-than-expected inflation data, easing recession concerns and boosting equities. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 indices rose, driven by gains in tech stocks, such as Nvidia and AMD, following a major semiconductor deal with a Saudi Arabian AI firm. In Asia, Hong Kong's market gained ground following strong earnings from JD.com, where...

After the US and China both slashed their reciprocal tariff rates, US markets responded with jubilation yesterday, sparking an impressive rally with the S&P 500 building on its recent run as investors priced out the chance of a downturn. Also on today’s podcast, we are joined by David Meier, Senior Economist, who shares his insights on the impact of recent trade talks, and Carsten Menke, Head...

The United States and China have taken a step towards resolving their trade dispute, with both sides describing their initial talks in Switzerland this weekend as constructive. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent mentioned substantial progress, lifting equity markets in Asia and boosting investor sentiment. Meanwhile, safe havens like gold are feeling the pressure. Our guest, Mensur Pocinci, Head...

The US and the UK agreed a new trade deal yesterday, making the UK the first country to reach a deal with the US since US President Trump introduced new tariffs a month ago. Although this boosted global market sentiment, with US and European markets closing higher, UK stocks underperformed. The deal also weighed on safe-haven assets like US Treasuries and gold. Meanwhile, the Bank of England’s rat...

The US Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged at its policy meeting yesterday and Chair Jerome Powell made it clear that with inflation still running above target, the Fed has no intention of cutting rates pre-emptively. He also warned that if tariff levels remain where they are, then a risk is posed to economic growth and inflation. Dario Messi, Head of Fixed Income Research, provides more...

It took two attempts, but German conservative leader Merz was elected chancellor by parliament on Tuesday after an unprecedented defeat on the first attempt got his coalition government off to a wobbly start. Market sentiment took another U-turn yesterday, with global equities falling back for a second day ahead of today’s US Federal Reserve rate decision. News that trade negotiations are going we...

US equities struggled yesterday as the S&P 500 index snapped its nine-day winning streak with a modest rotation into defensive stocks. Meanwhile, the broad US dollar sell-off against Asian currencies is fuelling speculation that regional economies are allowing their currencies to strengthen to gain leverage in US trade negotiations. Also on today’s podcast, we are joined by Nenad Dinic, Equity...

Global equity markets have largely recovered their losses since 2 April, or Liberation Day, with Australia, Mexico and Germany's DAX among the best performers. Warren Buffett will step down as the CEO of Berkshire Hathaway at the end of the year after 45 years. Brent oil falls below USD 60 a barrel, a four-year low, after OPEC+ announces further supply increases. The Taiwan dollar has jumped 5% ag...

Equity markets continued their multi-day rally yesterday with the S&P 500 nearing its ‘Liberation Day’ level after the fastest 8-session gain since November 2020. The rally was driven by upbeat earnings from Microsoft and Meta. This optimism has continued overnight after China said it’s evaluating trade talks with the US, boosting optimism that tariff tensions will come down. And we have Marku...

Donald Trump and his policies remain a key focus for investors, particularly today as he reaches his 100th day in office. Yesterday, Trump signed orders aimed at easing the pressure on carmakers, whilst Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick hinted that the US has secured a trade deal with an unnamed country, prompting a rise in US shares. Meanwhile, US Treasury yields have fallen for a seventh consecu...

The markets have seen some brief respite from volatility, thanks to positive developments in ongoing trade talks and upbeat company reports. However, this week promises to be action-packed, with four of the tech giants - Microsoft, Meta, Apple, and Amazon - set to release their earnings reports, which will likely dictate market direction. Joining us on the show is Manuel Villegas from Next Generat...

Equity markets continued their multi-day rally yesterday on US Federal Reserve comments indicating an openness to rate cuts and signs that trade negotiations were progressing. China may exempt some US goods from tariffs and Apple plans to shift the assembly of all US-sold iPhones to India as soon as next year. In this episode, we are joined by Tim Gagie, Head of FX and Precious Metals Solutions in...

Market sentiment has shifted towards optimism once again, with the US dollar gaining strength as concerns over President Trump's potential interference with the Federal Reserve's independence have eased. A two-day stock market rally has been fuelled by hopes that the US-China trade tensions will not intensify further. Meanwhile, recent data suggests that the economy may be heading towards a stagfl...

Stocks jumped and the dollar edged up as the Trump administration defused some of the tension that had rattled financial markets in recent sessions. President Donald Trump said yesterday that he does not intend to fire Fed Chair Jay Powell, while Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent told investors that the US-China trade dispute is unsustainable and that a deal will be made. This came as the Internati...

Market uncertainty has taken hold, with the US dollar hitting 15-month lows, stocks plummeting – including the Nasdaq, which has entered bear market territory – and credit spreads spiking. In contrast, Asian markets remain relatively resilient, while gold and digital assets rally. To make sense of these trends, we're joined by two expert guests: Mathieu Racheter, Head of Equity Strategy, and Carst...

Technology stocks were weak, with Nvidia shares down 7% following the imposition of export restrictions to China and other countries. In a speech in Chicago, Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell discussed the potential dilemma of balancing inflation control with economic growth and indicated a cautious monetary approach. The European Central Bank is expected to cut its deposit rate by 25 basis p...