Moving Markets

Markets opened the week with a weaker US dollar and sharp gains in gold and silver. Precious metals broke key levels, with gold rising as high USD 5,100 and silver to over USD 112 an ounce. Equities and bonds were relatively calm, but global stocks are still near record highs. China’s annual industrial profits rose for the first time since 2021 and India and the EU announce a trade deal. Energy pr...

Silver sailed past USD 100 on Friday and has topped 107.50 in Asia this morning. Meanwhile, gold has broken through the USD 5,000 mark. There’s a lot of focus on USD/JPY and a possible US government shutdown is also now on the cards. Along with the twists and turns of geopolitics, markets now face a dense run of central bank decisions and one of the busiest earnings weeks of the year. Our analysts...

China’s markets are off to a strong start in 2026, raising renewed comparisons to the 2015 boom‑and‑bust just as global tensions escalate — from dramatic US moves over Greenland to a surge in gold prices and a weakening dollar. With capital rotating out of U.S. assets and liquidity patterns shifting across Asia, does today’s rally carry familiar risks, or does it mark the start of a very different...

Global risk sentiment improved as geopolitical tensions eased, diplomatic efforts advanced, and resilient US data lifted equities while pushing volatility and high-yield credit spreads to their lowest since 2007. European stocks played catch‑up, supported by their cyclical exposure and positive company‑specific news. The US dollar has weakened sharply this week, boosting risk‑sensitive currencies....

President Trump castigated European leaders over their response to his Greenland takeover attempt during his speech at the WEF in Davos yesterday but did step back from suggesting the use of military force. Equity markets rallied in response. They were given further positive momentum by a later post from the president which claimed that a framework of a future deal with respect to Greenland had be...

Markets continue to de-risk and the “Sell America” narrative gains traction as geopolitical tensions over Greenland spook investors, triggering an equity sell-off, a weaker dollar, and soaring precious metals. With scant data ahead, all eyes are now on President Trump’s keynote speech at the World Economic Forum in Davos later today for clues on policy direction and de-escalation potential. We’re...

European equities pulled back sharply yesterday after President Trump threatened tariffs on European goods, sending trade-sensitive sectors like autos and luxury sharply lower while defence stocks bucked the trend. Bond markets also came under pressure, with global yields rising and Japan’s 40-year government bond yield hitting a record high amid fiscal concerns and election uncertainty. In Asia,...

President Trump’s weekend announcement of new tariffs on eight European allies - linked to the US push to acquire Greenland - is set to ripple through global financial markets this week. Gold and silver have surged to fresh record highs on the news, while the US dollar has weakened. Today, we’re joined by Mensur Pocinci, our Head of Technical Analysis, who continues to see significant upside poten...

Geopolitics is once again in the spotlight. With protests intensifying in Iran and the recent US intervention in Venezuela, many investors are questioning whether these developments will meaningfully move oil prices — or whether an already oversupplied market will simply absorb the shocks. In this episode of Moving Markets – The View Beyond, Norbert Ruecker, Head of Economics and Next Generation R...

Semiconductor stocks stole the spotlight yesterday as record results from Taiwan Semiconductor Manufacturing Company reignited the AI trade across Europe, Wall Street, and Asia. Meanwhile, Germany recorded the first year of annual economic growth since 2022, while strong US data shifted expectations for Federal Reserve policy. Oil prices tumbled after President Trump signalled a pause in threats o...

The average stock in the US rose yesterday, but investors shifted away from technology and bank stocks. European equities reached a new all-time high, though German stocks experienced their first decline in eleven days. Geopolitical tensions and announcements from the Trump administration led to demand for US Treasuries driving yields lower and also caused volatility in precious metals and oil, wh...

Equity markets struggled despite cooler-than-expected US inflation data, as mixed bank earnings, Fed independence concerns, and Iran tensions weighed on sentiment. The latter two factors boosted gold and silver to new record highs. Attention turns to the US and the prospect of possibly hearing about the Supreme Court’s decision on IEEPA tariffs later today. Dario Messi, Head of Fixed Income Resear...

Equity markets pushed higher despite mounting geopolitical tensions, US political uncertainty, and sharp declines in some bank stocks following President Trump’s proposal to cap credit card interest rates. Japanese shares surged on speculation of imminent snap elections, adding another twist to global market dynamics. And today, Manuel Villegas from Next Generation Research joins us to explore how...

Jerome Powell has responded to the threat of criminal charges against him relating to the renovation of historic Fed buildings, stating that they are nothing to do with this and rather reflect the fact that he will not bow to political interference when it comes to matters of monetary policy. US futures and the dollar have fallen since he spoke yesterday. This comes after record closes for the Dow...

Defence stocks soared across the globe yesterday after US President Trump called for a bigger military budget. Meanwhile, technology shares stumbled, oil rebounded sharply, and precious metals gained ground. In Asian trading, Fast Retailing impressed with strong earnings, while Rio Tinto slipped on merger talks with Glencore. We also discuss the narrowing US trade deficit, the Fed’s dovish signals...

Investors should prepare themselves for 2026 to be a year that rewards those who adapt early to the resets and rebalancing which are shaping the new investment landscape. So, what are the key themes? In this edition of Moving Markets - The View Beyond, Bernadette Anderko sits down with Christian Gattiker, Head of Research, and Mark Matthews, Head of Research Asia, to discuss Julius Baer's Market O...

Global equity markets closed marginally lower yesterday as they weighed the US administration’s moves on Venezuela and the potential for escalation regarding Greenland. Nevertheless, there were some bright spots: the Nasdaq was boosted by Alphabet, and the Kospi saw gains this morning as Samsung announced impressive Q4 earnings guidance. Defence stocks rose in Europe, but fell in the US, for diffe...

Global equities surged with US, European, and Asian markets reaching new highs, brushing aside geopolitical concerns. Copper and precious metals spiked on supply concerns and strong demand, while bond markets priced in more rate cuts following softer European inflation data. Still, geopolitical risks and upcoming economic data remain in focus, creating the first challenges of the year in Asian tra...

Equity markets have kicked off the first full trading week of the year on a strong note, with major indices in the US and Europe reaching record highs despite persistent concerns over Venezuela and its potential geopolitical ripple effects. Gold and silver continued their breathtaking rally while government bond yields fell a little. Norbert Rücker, Head of Economics and Next Generation Research,...

Global markets surged in 2025, fuelled by economic growth, AI optimism, and central bank rate cuts, though there were sharp swings in volatility at times. Commodities diverged: oil ended lower while precious metals soared, led by gold’s biggest annual gain in 46 years. 2026 started on a strong footing, driven by semiconductor stocks. Over the weekend, geopolitical tensions spiked with the arrest o...

Excerpt from Beyond Markets Podcast, originally published on 25.09.2025. This episode is part of a special two-week series featuring highlights from Julius Baer’s recent Beyond Markets podcasts. Our regular show that starts with daily market news returns on Monday 5th January. When one thinks of safe-haven currencies, the Swiss franc, Japanese yen, and US dollar typically come to mind. But with ca...

Excerpt from Beyond Markets Podcast, originally published on 08.04.2025. This episode is part of a special two-week series featuring highlights from Julius Baer’s recent Beyond Markets podcasts. Our regular show that starts with daily market news returns on Monday 5th January. In this episode of Beyond Markets we take a closer look at water. With water scarcity and extreme weather events on the in...

Excerpt from Beyond Markets Podcast, originally published on 13.08.2025. This episode is part of a special two-week series featuring highlights from Julius Baer’s recent Beyond Markets podcasts. Our regular show that starts with daily market news returns on Monday 5th January. In this episode of Beyond Markets, Mark Matthews, Head of Research Asia at Julius Baer, speaks with General David H. Petra...

Excerpt from Beyond Markets Podcast, originally published on 24.08.2025. This episode is part of a special two-week series featuring highlights from Julius Baer’s recent Beyond Markets podcasts. Our regular show that starts with daily market news returns on Monday 5th January. Investing in private markets has the potential to create long-term value in portfolios. But how can qualified and professi...

Excerpt from Beyond Markets Podcast, originally published on 12.09.2025. This episode is part of a special two-week series featuring highlights from Julius Baer’s recent Beyond Markets podcasts. Our regular show that starts with daily market news returns on Monday 5th January. In this episode of Beyond Markets, we take a closer look at agentic AI, which is no longer just a concept. AI agents are a...