Category: Investment Outlook
Bonds cast shadow over equities
2 October 2026Global equities struggled somewhat this week. US tech stocks are roughly where they were last Friday – but many others took a hit. Markets see AI-fuelled growth as too strong, raising interest rate pressures for the rest of...
Waiting for Goldilocks
25 September 2026Government bond yields keep rising. The US 10-year yield shot up to 5.2%, its highest level in nearly 20 years. This pushed up yields for all other bonds. That was not a problem for stock markets – until it was. Equities continued...
Hawks to the rescue
18 September 2026It was a week heavy on narrative but, for the most part, light on stock market movement. President Trump bristled at Canada’s flirtation with Europe, tech leaders made a plea for slower AI development and attacks on Middle Eastern...
Tightening up
11 September 2026More bond pain hindered stock markets this week. Despite stable US core inflation (2.4% year-on-year for August), Middle East re-escalation pushed oil prices above $100 per barrel and gas sharply higher. That forced the European...
Pretty good, considering
4 September 2026We end the week with global stocks once again a little higher than they were last Friday, but bond prices a step lower. Global government bond yields – the inverse of prices – have now been steadily rising for over two months....
The might of the bond markets returns
27 August 2026This week was the first time this summer that we observed the seasonal lack of trading liquidity becoming an issue in markets. Last week, we titled ‘Hot weather, chilled markets’ and wrote that the “market-moving narratives...
Hot weather, chilled markets
20 August 2026Capital markets had another decent week, led by US tech stocks and propelled by AI-related corporate earnings reports. How many times have we written that sentence? The market-moving narratives are basically the same as they have...
Regaining confidence after July’s drought
13 August 2026The announcement of yet another Iran deal buoyed stock markets this week. Iran and Oman reportedly agreed a new shipping route through the Strait of Hormuz, which would temporarily solve the issue that collapsed the US-Iran ceasefire...
Learn to make your mind up
3 August 2026This week has seen marked volatility in bonds and a number of major high-profile stocks. Some of it has been a little concerning and yet, most portfolios will probably show a reasonably positive outcome. That’s what diversification...
Hiatus in optimism
29 July 2026Equity and bond markets came under pressure this week, as oil prices rose above $100 per barrel again. The downside was clearest in bond markets, with long-term government yields moving up sharply. Stocks held up a little better...