A volatile month draws to a close, with global bond yields higher as inflation expectations remain elevated. With no sign of the end of the Middle East conflict, investors very much remain on edge. Ongoing concerns regarding A.I. spending are also weighing on sentiment.

U.S. stocks and bonds lost ground last week, with global stock markets all gaining ground. GOOG disappointed, which is hard to digest given their performance and outlook. Investors remained very concerned about A.I. investment needs, especially amongst the hyper-scalers. There are important central bank meetings and earnings this coming week.

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.

"....That being said, let’s motor on to what really matters in the coming days – May CPI in the U.S. (released yesterday), upcoming central bank meetings, the SpaceX IPO which is on the launch pad (no pun intended), and U.S. social security."

This is a short article about the K-shaped economy, driven by persistently high inflation and exacerbated by the errant "One, Big Beautiful Bill".

US Treasury yields are stuck, with the 10y UST yielding just north of 4%, What might be coming next? This article presents the factors that will influence the next gap up or down in UST yields.

It is fashionable to espouse the end of the US dollar as the leading global reserve currency, but this will not occur anytime soon.

Don't look to fundamentals to explain equity prices today – look to attitudes embedded in acronyms. And don't forget the super-easy Fed!

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?