Moving Markets

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...

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...