Moving Markets

Brent oil saw historic intraday swings yesterday, surging on supply fears before dropping sharply as the G7 discussed releasing reserves and the US president signalled the war could soon end. This shift helped European markets rebound from their lows and lifted US equities as safe‑haven flows unwound. Asian markets followed Wall Street higher, supported by strong corporate results and robust Chine...

This morning, Iran named Mojtaba Khamanei, the man President Trump said would be unacceptable in the post, as its new leader. The immediate market reaction was a spike in the price of Brent crude oil to nearly USD120 per barrel, and a pronounced selloff in Asian stock markets. These moves have since reversed somewhat after the Financial Times wrote that G7 leaders will have talks with the Internat...

The recent US and Israel strike on Iran has introduced a new layer of uncertainty to global markets, with investors closely monitoring the implications for oil & gas, and portfolios overall. How should investors interpret these developments and position themselves amid heightened geopolitical risk? In this episode of Moving Markets: The View Beyond, Ayako Lehmann is joined by Norbert Rücker, H...

Global markets saw another volatile session as escalating Middle East tensions drove oil prices sharply higher and dampened risk appetite. Equities fell across the US and Europe, and US bond yields moved higher as investors reassessed the outlook for Federal Reserve rate cuts. In tech, potential new US restrictions on AI chip exports weighed on sentiment, though software stocks bucked the trend wi...

US and European equities rebounded yesterday as the absence of another energy spike supported sentiment. Strong US job gains and a firm ISM services reading eased growth concerns, reduced expectations for a July rate cut, and lifted major indices, with technology leading. The US dollar held firm, investors are positioned for a weaker euro, and Swiss franc strength triggered a second round of SNB v...

US and European stock markets fell further yesterday although some relief was provided by Trump’s promise to accompany vessels through the Strait of Hormuz.  Both oil and the US dollar strengthened, but gold and silver fell, and overnight Asia’s stock markets suffered a bruising session with the Kospi falling more in one day than it has since 2001. Joining the show today are our research team head...

While European markets tumbled amid the escalating conflict in the Middle East, US equities held up surprisingly well. Both the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 managed to post modest gains, supported largely by strength in the technology sector. This morning, however, oil prices have climbed further as tensions continue to rise, and Asian markets are deep in negative territory. Today, we are joined by...

Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East have escalated over the weekend, with coordinated strikes by the US and Israel targeting Iranian facilities and leadership. In response, Iran has launched retaliatory strikes across the Gulf region. The surge in hostilities has placed global markets under heightened scrutiny. Equity indices are trading lower, while safe-haven assets - including the Swiss fr...

The recent US Supreme Court decision on tariffs has shifted the landscape for investors, replacing a patchwork of country-specific measures with a temporary universal tariff. What does this mean for markets overall, different countries and sectors, the US dollar and fixed income? In this episode of Julius Baer’s Moving Markets – The View Beyond podcast, Helen Freer is joined by Christian Gattiker,...

Major stock indices ended mostly lower after a two‑day rally. In the US, the Information Technology sector fell nearly 2%, weighed down by a 5.5% drop in Nvidia shares. In contrast, the equally weighted S&P 500 gained 0.6%. Treasury prices and gold edged higher as investors sought safe‑haven assets following the conclusion of US - Iran talks, which ended without any tangible progress. Today, w...

Nvidia delivered results yesterday that beat analysts’ expectations but failed to cause more than a brief rally in extended trading. Nevertheless, US indices ended the day higher, with the Nasdaq Composite closing up 1.26%, and Asia’s tech-biased indices following suit. The Nikkei 225 breached 59,000 for the first time as the Takaichi trade continued.  Elsewhere investors await further tariff anno...

US stocks rebounded yesterday led by technology shares after AI developments announced by Meta and Anthropic. Strong US economic data lifted the broader market and boosted small caps. In Europe, autos rose on lower‑than‑expected US tariffs, while banks fell. Taiwan and South Korea climbed on AI optimism, and Japan advanced after the Prime Minister nominated two reflation‑focused academics to the B...

Global markets were on edge yesterday as President Trump’s newly announced 15% global tariff triggered a sharp European response and fresh trade uncertainty. Equity markets across both Europe and the US struggled, with tech stocks hit particularly hard amid renewed concerns about AI disruption in the software sector. Defensive names, meanwhile, benefited from the flight to safety, alongside a stro...

The US Supreme Court struck down President Donald Trump’s global tariffs last week, dealing a blow to his administration’s centrepiece trade policy. The administration quickly signalled that it would pursue 10%, then 15% global tariffs. While equity markets rallied on Friday, risk sentiment has been dampened this morning as uncertainty about trade policy returns. Mensur Pocinci, Head of Technical...

How sustainable is the narrow leadership of US equity markets? With aggressive AI-related capex plans raising concerns about long-term returns, investors have been reassessing concentrated positions in US mega cap technology and turning their attention elsewhere. What should be in focus as they look to broaden their portfolios? In this edition of Moving Markets – The View Beyond, Bernadette Anderk...

US and European equity markets fell yesterday following President Trump’s announcement that Iran has 10-15 days to reach a deal over its nuclear programme. This pushed oil prices up over USD 72/ barrel this morning. On the bright side, Indian and South Korean equity markets climbed today. US Futures are also higher ahead of key US data due out today, and the possibility of the announcement of the...

European stocks climbed to new highs as investors responded positively to solid corporate earnings. Meanwhile, the latest Federal Reserve minutes revealed a divided stance among US monetary policymakers. In Asia, South Korea’s Kospi index - often seen as a bellwether for AI-related trades - surged to a fresh record amid easing concerns over AI‑driven disruption. In today’s episode, Carsten Menke,...

As US markets returned from the holiday, volatility re-emerged across AI-linked equities. Europe showed resilience but commodities fell on easing geopolitics. In precious metals, volatility remains elevated due to thin trading during Asian hours amid the Lunar New Year holiday. Tim Gagie, Head of FX Advisory in Geneva, talks about what that means for gold and silver going forward and why dips in A...

With US markets closed for Presidents’ Day and much of Asia shut for Lunar New Year, trading was thin yesterday and overnight, yet European equities still managed to edge higher. Swiss GDP data showed a slight rebound in Q4, although overall growth for 2025 remained below the historical average. Geopolitical developments also shaped sentiment, as investors digested the outcomes of the Munich Secur...

Global equity markets are starting the week on a subdued note, with US markets closed today for President’s Day. Liquidity is also thinner than usual due to the Chinese Lunar New Year holidays and carnival celebrations in parts of South America. Japanese equities are seeing some profit-taking following weaker‑than‑expected GDP data, while gold and silver are also trading lower. In today’s episode,...

Recent weeks have seen extreme cross‑asset volatility, with sharp unwinds hitting US and China tech stocks, precious metals and cryptocurrencies. In China, renewed concerns about regulatory scrutiny are weighing on sentiment, even as the case for a stronger renminbi continues to build. In this episode of Moving Markets: The View Beyond , Richard Tang, Head of Research Hong Kong at Julius Baer, spe...

Markets were mixed yesterday, with European shares dragged down by weak results from Adyen, Magnum and Mercedes-Benz, despite solid updates from Siemens and Hermès. Schroders jumped on a takeover approach from Nuveen. In the US, deepening concerns over AI‑driven disruption hit tech stocks hard, pushing the ‘Magnificent Seven’ lower and marking Apple’s worst day since Liberation Day. Gold and silve...

A surprisingly strong US jobs report sent yields higher – most notably at the short end of the curve – and weighed on equity index performance. Market expectations have now shifted, with traders anticipating that the Federal Reserve will hold off on further rate cuts until July. Meanwhile, European equities climbed to fresh highs on the back of robust earnings. In today’s episode, Manuel Villegas...

Rising concerns about who will be disrupted next by rapid advances in artificial intelligence continue to weigh on parts of the markets. Investors are caught between solid corporate earnings and concerns about the strength of the US economy as consumer spending has finally caught up with consumer sentiment, and not in a good way. Investors’ focus will remain on US data this week. Afonso Borges fro...

US stocks rose, with the S&P 500 near a record, led by technology and AI on renewed OpenAI momentum. Alphabet’s USD bond sale drew over USD 100 billion in demand, allowing it to raise USD 20 billion and tighten pricing on its 40‑year bond. The USD weakened on reports that China’s banks are advised to cut their US Treasury holdings. Europe closed higher on strong gains from UniCredit and Novo N...