Moving Markets

Japan’s Prime Minister Takaichi captured a historic supermajority for her Liberal Democratic Party in yesterday’s election, meaning the LDP holds two-thirds or more seats in the Lower House, and giving her the scope to pursue her fiscal agenda. The Nikkei 225 rallied 5.5% today, crossing the 57,000 threshold for the first time. Other Asian markets rallied this morning following the recovery in the...

The nomination of Kevin Warsh as the likely next chair of the Federal Reserve has prompted immediate market reactions and renewed debate around the future direction of US monetary policy. What should investors expect as the Fed faces new leadership? In this episode of Julius Baer’s Moving Markets – The View Beyond, Ayako Lehmann is joined by David Kohl, Chief Economist, to discuss the implications...

The Bank of England and the European Central Bank both kept rates unchanged yesterday, signalling a cautious but data‑dependent stance even as inflation trends diverge on either side of the Channel. European equities finished broadly lower on the back of a busy earnings day, while in the US a third straight sell‑off pushed the S&P 500 into negative territory for the year. Crypto joined the ris...

Earnings and Big Tech remain in focus, with Alphabet beating Wall Street’s expectations but causing some investors to take flight in the wake of projected capex spending. The rotation out of tech stocks continued on Wednesday - the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1.5%. China’s Hong Kong-listed technology stocks slid overnight with the Hang Seng Tech Index now 20% below its October peak. The threat of VAT...

The rotation out of technology stocks continued, with software shares selling off on AI‑disruption concerns, while cyclical stocks outperformed. WalMart reached a USD 1 trillion market‑cap milestone. German long‑dated yields hit their highest level since 2011 as heavy issuance lifted supply. Precious metals remain volatile but rebounded sharply, while Brent oil rises on Middle East tensions. In ea...

After a deep slump at the open, market sentiment turned and equity markets swung sharply into positive territory, while precious metals — which had been under intense pressure — began to claw back recent losses in the hours that followed. In the US, tech favourite Palantir impressed after the close with stronger than expected results. And looking ahead, Carsten Menke, Head of Next Generation, shar...

Gold and silver plummeted in a historic sell-off amid volatility and margin calls, triggered by speculation of a hawkish Fed chief pick. Markets reel as global equities tumble this morning, while investors brace for key earnings and central bank decisions in a turbulent start to February. Our Chief Economist David Kohl shares his view on what to expect from a Warsh-led Fed. And Mensur Pocinci, Hea...

US equities were mixed yesterday, with investors rotating out of technology as Microsoft dropped sharply while Meta jumped. In Europe, SAP’s steep fall weighed on the DAX, while the Swiss market outperformed. Precious metals are experiencing extreme volatility after record highs, energy prices are rising amid escalating Middle East tensions, while markets also price in the growing likelihood that...

The US Federal Reserve left rates unchanged and struck a data‑dependent tone, even as political pressure around the central bank intensifies. The S&P 500 briefly crossed 7,000 before paring gains, tech earnings from Meta, Microsoft and Tesla sent mixed signals after the close, and European markets fell on volatile moves in ASML and LVMH. The US dollar rebounded on comments from Treasury Secret...

A whirlwind week in global markets — and it’s only Wednesday. The dollar plunges, the Swiss franc hits multi‑year highs, and gold and silver seem unstoppable. Equity markets touch new records as investors brace for mega‑cap tech earnings and the Fed’s rate decision after market close today. Dario Messi, Head of Fixed Income Research, explains what he expects from the US central bank. A fast, livel...

After a remarkable 2025, gold and silver have surged to new highs in early 2026, driven by a complex mix of geopolitical developments and speculative flows. What is fuelling this rally, can it continue, and how should investors position themselves in these volatile markets? In this episode of Moving Markets – The View Beyond, Bernadette Anderko is joined by Julius Baer’s Carsten Menke, Head of Nex...

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...