Writing this weekly update is starting to get boring, because everything goes up every week, or so it seems.  Having said that, one casualty this past week was gold, which finally seems to have come off the boil.  The price of gold declined nearly 6% on Tuesday, and then stabilised but still ended down 1.8% on the week, the first weekly decline in the price of this safe haven precious metal since mid-August.  All global equity indices were higher (yawn) on the week – most end

Markets were good again this week, with stocks and bonds both increasing in spite of plenty of economic headwinds on the horizon and growing geopolitical risks. Nothing seems able to stop the momentum......until it does!

U.S. stocks hit record highs mid-week for two days running, but softened after worst-than-expected PPI data and eroding consumer confidence, released Thursday and Friday, put a dent in the animal spirits driving risk assets higher. UST yields rose, remaining stubbornly high and not very connected to what the FOMC might or might not do at the next FOMC meeting.

Concerns regarding tariffs and trade rhetoric faded a bit in the second half of the week in the U.S., which gave way to decent economic data and a strong start to the earnings season. The S&P 500 and NASDAQ hit record highs (again). Yields were under modest pressure at the long end of the curve.

President Trump has been in the Middle East this week with a contingent of US business leaders and his finance / economics team, cutting...

We're up, we're down, we're all around! US stocks remain volatile but ended higher. Bonds are the "adult in the room" though.

The sell-off in global equities is getting more painful, as investors continue to shun risk and pile into safe haven assets. What makes...

Inflation continues to confound, although investors largely shook it off. Market volatility remains elevated but stocks better WoW.

We have some US data coming that might matter today (CPI), but the FOMC will sit tight (also today). Discusses Apple's run and GameStop.