Weekly Market Update
Market Action Global equities declined on the week amid increasing concerns over global growth and lingering trade tensions. The yield on the US 10-year Treasury note slumped nearly 14 basis points from a week ago, to 2.85%, while volatility, as measured by the CBOE...
From Black Friday to Good Friday and Back: Economic Indicators, Trading Opportunities, and the Shakeup of Expectations
Economic indicators such as the Purchasing Managers Index (PMI), Consumer Confidence Index, and the price of oil could be thought as signals of future economic activity. Last year the Eurozone experienced a revival of growth that lifted up expectations and resembled...
Weekly Market Update
Market Action Global equities closed mostly higher for the week, with US equities showing the greatest increase at about 5% on the week. (The S&P 500 Index recorded its best weekly gain since December 2011.) The yield on the US 10-year Treasury declined 4 basis...
Crossroads: At the Intersection of Geopolitics and Geoeconomics
Here are some critical issues to watch around the globe over the coming month: North America In the US, months of campaigning came to an end with Democrats breaking the Republicans’ grip on power by securing a majority in the House of Representatives, retaking...
Headwinds vs. Tailwinds: An Initial Assessment of Undercurrent Trends Affecting the Market Outlook for 2019
As we are approaching the start of 2019, we could identify five important tailwinds and an equal number of headwinds going into play in the new year. Overall, we believe – at this stage – that the tailwinds will prevail. Let’s start then with the tailwinds. The first...
Weekly Market Update
Market Action Global equities closed mostly lower for the week amid continued concerns over slowing global economic growth and the chaotic Brexit process playing out between the United Kingdom and the European Union. The yield on the US 10-year Treasury note declined...
Victor (as in Frankenstein), Prometheus (and Pandora), and Sisyphus (and the Rock): Defiance, Derivatives, and Midas
Victor Frankenstein was the creator of the monster and not the monster itself. Prometheus’ gift of fire to humans was offset by Pandora’s box. Sisyphus’ condemnation to keep rolling the rock up the slope may not be as absurd as it initially looks. Before we integrate...
Weekly Market Update
Market Action US equities regained some ground this past week while European and Asian benchmarks closed fairly flat on the week. The US 10-year Treasury note slightly declined to 3.19% while the price of WTI crude oil continued to fall, dropping to $59.91 a barrel...
The Financial Ecosystem and the Dollar Trajectory: International Reserves, the Eurodollar Market, and Fiscal Policies
The international financial system is based on credit. At the heart of that system is the bond market whose global size exceeds $100 trillion. Just in the US, the bond market is above $40 trillion, and the US Treasuries play a central role in that given that they are...
Weekly Market Update
Market Action This week global equities clawed back some of the losses posted during a volatile October. Still, the month was one of the worst for equities since the financial crisis, as markets were affected by concerns over rising interest rates, the slowing Chinese...