This article looks at recent performance of and valuation metrics of the FAMAG stocks and four others: SHOP, NVDA, TSLA and NFLX.

The bond market looks to be doing the Fed's dirty work, sending short term yields to post-pandemic highs. Is the Fed being too methodical?

I continue to believe that inflation will be transitory, but supply-push inflation will cause inflation to be higher longer.

Markets ripped off the back of a 2 page MoU between the US and Iran that reopened the Strait of Hormuz. The FOMC meeting had its first session under new chair Kevin Warsh, and he sounded even more hawkish than Mr Powell. SpaceX rocketed ahead 42% in its first (almost) full week of life. That's insane, but go ahead – load up! Friday was a holiday in the US.

Markets bounced around a lot last week, but focus was mostly on the SpaceX IPO, the largest IPO ever which successfully priced on Thursday evening. The war between the US and Iran continues, oil and gold were lower, and bonds improved.

Tech shares came under pressure this week, with the sell-off gaining steam on Friday following a much stronger-than-expected US payrolls report. Yields moved higher across the curve, oil was higher, and Bitcoin faltered. Much of this was driven by higher inflation expectations and a lower likelihood that the Fed will cut rates in the foreseeable future.

Most global bond and stock indices rallied last week, with several global (including U.S.) stock indices closing at record highs. PCE data for April confirmed elevated inflation in the U.S., and the fact that consumers are getting poorer. This is a real contrast with the ever-higher improvement in most global asset prices.

Stocks were better again last week, led by European stocks. US stocks were also better in spite of a difficult start to the week, with non-tech shares leading gains. The DJIA closed at a record high. Bonds stabilised although policy-sensitive yields at the short end of the curve actually moved higher. NVDA earnings and the pending SpaceX IPO dominated the news flow.

Stocks were fine much of the week due to the ongoing "to the moon" A.I. narrative and rampant momentum buying. However, things came to a screeching halt on Friday, once the "adults in the room" (i.e. bond investors) started to run for cover with inflation soaring higher and becoming ever-more entrenched. Friday was firmly risk off, and now the question is what will happen next week? What if buy-the-dip investors go on strike? I don't even want to imagine that!!

I started penning this update with my recurring rant about the antics of the Trump Administration. The daily “war is over” rhetoric coming from the leader of the free world is super-annoying, especially since Iran and the U.S. remain more or less deadlocked, with the Strait of Hormuz closed and no oil flowing through it. But does this really matter anymore, at least to investors? Yes, higher oil prices are hurting consumers (see “Consumer confidence” below) and will rev

All four major central banks held their policy rates steady last week, but all of them also had a hawkish bias. Earnings continued to be supportive of higher stock prices, with five of the Mag 7 companies all beating on the top and bottom lines. Yields were higher as bonds got hammered, thanks to ongoing concerns regarding higher oil-induced inflation. There is no end in sight to the Iran-U.S. conflict.

Stocks added to monthly gains, except in Europe where stocks lost ground. US Treasury yields were higher, as bonds lost ground. Oil prices increased double digits again, as the US-Iran conflict seems no closer to resolution.

Stocks are in a severe recovery stage, boosted further by the announcement on Friday that the Strait of Hormuz was being reopened to commercial traffic. Oil prices plunged, stocks took another leg up, and yields fell across the curve. Let the good times roll.....or are things really this good?

The US and Iran agreed to a two-week ceasefire on Tuesday evening, not long after President Trump had warned Iran that “a civilisation will die tonight”. Perhaps this belligerent rhetoric was effective, or perhaps not. In any event, the bombing stopped – or at least most of it – on Tuesday evening as a fragile two-week ceasefire was agreed and started. US and Iranian delegations are in Islamabad this weekend negotiating what will hopefully be a permanent solution to this c

Stocks and bonds reclaimed some lost ground last week for the first time since the Iran conflict started. Eurozone flash inflation for March shows what's ahead for US inflation, with CPI set to be released Friday. However, the March jobs report suggests that the US economy remains reasonably resilient in spite of sharply higher energy prices.

Markets deteriorated further as the US threats amount to nothing more than deferred deadlines as Iran digs in its heels. Higher oil prices and an unclear picture of how this war might play out is rattling nearly all corners of the financial markets.

Global stocks and bonds continued to spiral down as the war in the Middle East continues with no end in sight. In this update, I discuss the Fed's dilemma in a stagflation scenario, and how oil prices are likely to affect both headline and cor inflation.

Investors got hammered again this week with few places to hide. Having said this, it could be worse. The Trump Administration continues to release conflicting information about the status of the war, but it is clear that the Iranians are not about to capitulate. This is causing all sorts of problems with the oil market, and this in turn is splattering both global stocks and bonds.