The European Union and the United States have reached a significant trade agreement, substantially reducing the likelihood of an all-out trade war. While some details remain unclear, the markets have responded favourably to the announcement. In a related development, Chinese and US officials are set to convene in Stockholm today to discuss easing trade tensions. Markets have a lot to digest this week with the Federal Reserve interest rate decision and the latest US jobs data due. Also, it is a b...
Jul 28, 2025•11 min
Earnings remain in the spotlight, with notable gains in the banking sector, while Tesla tumbled amid US policy headwinds. The European Central Bank left interest rates unchanged and offered a modestly upbeat assessment of the eurozone economy, raising doubts among investors about further policy easing, even while US tariff threats still cloud the outlook. This pushed yields higher and weighed on gold. Tim Gagie, Head of FX/PM Private Banking in Geneva, explains why the precious metal has consoli...
Jul 25, 2025•12 min
Global equity markets rally on US-Japan trade deal progress, sparking hopes for EU agreements, with equities surging and gold easing. Japan’s Nikkei 225 reaches a new all-time high, as does the S&P 500. In earnings: Alphabet surprises positively, while Tesla disappoints. Companies reporting today include industry giants like Nestle, Roche, Deutsche Bank, and LVMH. The ECB is not expected to cut rates today, with the market’s focus on its outlook. Carsten Menke, Head of Next Generation Resear...
Jul 24, 2025•11 min
The current earnings season is proving particularly intriguing, with some companies surpassing analyst expectations and others struggling, particularly due to the impact of US tariffs. On the subject of tariffs, the recently announced US-Japan trade deal has boosted market confidence and fuelled optimism that others, such as the European Union, may also be able to secure similar deals. Meanwhile, attention is slowly but surely shifting towards interest rate decisions, with the ECB set to announc...
Jul 23, 2025•12 min
The US stock market reached new heights, driven by the strong performance of several of the top tech giants, but the broader market failed to follow suit. Meanwhile, government bond yields declined across the board as the deadline for President Trump's trade negotiations, set for 1 August, draws closer. Mathieu Racheter, Head of Equity Strategy Research, offers his insights on the Japanese market in the aftermath of the recent election upheaval and provides a comprehensive overview of the earnin...
Jul 22, 2025•13 min
Japan's Upper House election has sparked market uncertainty after the ruling LDP coalition lost control. Nevertheless, the JPY remained surprisingly stable. The S&P 500 and MSCI World indices reached new heights last week, bolstered by robust economic data and impressive corporate earnings. The US Congress passes legislation regulating stablecoins, thereby giving credibility to the digital asset industry. According to Mensur Pocinci, Head of Technical Analysis, the CHF is likely to maintain ...
Jul 21, 2025•10 min
Global stock markets experienced a positive day yesterday, bolstered by impressive earnings reports – including those from ABB – and favourable macroeconomic data from the US. The latter indicated a resilient retail sector, underpinned by a strong US consumer. As a result, the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq Composite both closed at record highs. In Asia, however, the outlook is more mixed, with attention centred on Japan ahead of its upper house elections this weekend. On the commodities front, oil ...
Jul 18, 2025•12 min
The US President’s comments regarding potentially firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell sparked market volatility. The initial reaction was swift, with the dollar and stocks tumbling, but the market later showed resilience with the S&P 500 rising. Strong US bank earnings and mixed inflation signals added to the complex picture. Global trade tensions weighed on European stocks, with shares of ASML and Renault plunging, while in Asia, TSMC came out with strong results. Manuel Villegas, Next Generatio...
Jul 17, 2025•12 min
Stocks retreated in response to US inflation data, which met expectations but showed that tariffs have arrived in inflation figures. The earnings season has started with mixed bank earnings dragging down broader equity markets, while the tech heavy Nasdaq reached a record high on gains by chip giant Nvidia. This followed the US decision to ease restrictions on selling AI chips to China. Mathieu Racheter, Head of Equity Strategy, shares his insights on what to expect from the earnings season and ...
Jul 16, 2025•18 min
Stock markets continue to show resilience in the face of the latest US tariff threats and potential countermeasures from trading partners such as the EU. Other significant news yesterday included French President Emmanuel Macron announcing plans to substantially increase defence spending, while the US shifted its stance towards Russia, threatening to introduce secondary sanctions. Overnight in Asia, investors digested a slew of Chinese macroeconomic data and the latest increase in Japanese gover...
Jul 15, 2025•12 min
Markets take note of the escalating trade tensions, yet their response appears surprisingly subdued. The US dollar has edged upwards, just like global long-term yields, and stock prices have dipped slightly. Investors seem to be adopting a cautious stance, awaiting the ongoing developments and hoping that some political flexibility can be maintained until 1 August. In addition, Richard Tang, Head of Research in Hong Kong, discusses the specific drivers of China's onshore and offshore markets, as...
Jul 14, 2025•17 min
US equities reach another record high as investors downplay tariff concerns, buoyed by a positive forecast from Delta Airlines. Bitcoin soars to a new all-time high, exceeding USD 118,000. European shares see modest gains, with the Swiss market leading the way due to advancements in healthcare, and the UK market rising on the back of strong commodity performance following the announcement of the US copper tariffs. The original Hermès Birkin handbag is sold for EUR 8.58 million. According to Thom...
Jul 11, 2025•10 min
President Trump delivers more tariff letters and lays down the gauntlet to Brazil – announcing a 50% tariff on their exports into the US. Copper also faces a 50% import tariff. US markets rally on artificial intelligence enthusiasm as Nvidia buoys tech stocks, becoming the first company ever to reach a valuation of USD 4 trillion. Our Chief Economist, David Kohl, provides his thoughts on the latest tariff developments and what they might mean for the US economy and the dollar going forwards, and...
Jul 10, 2025•19 min
Stock markets remain quiet, shrugging off President Trump's assertive rhetoric on additional tariffs and his stance that no exemptions will be made ahead of the 1st August deadline for reciprocal tariffs. Nevertheless, government bond yields are rising across major markets due to potential inflationary pressures triggered by the tariffs and a broader re-evaluation of risk appetite. To provide insight into these developments, Dario Messi, Head of Fixed Income Research, discusses why he remains re...
Jul 09, 2025•16 min
The US sent a flurry of ‘trade letters' to numerous countries yesterday, stating that it will impose steep tariffs from 1 August 2025 unless these countries take steps to open their markets to American products. Meanwhile, US President Trump signed an executive order, delaying the deadline for reciprocal tariffs from this Wednesday to 1 August. The stock market reacted swiftly, with US indices closing lower yesterday, but market sentiment appears to have improved slightly overnight as investors ...
Jul 08, 2025•11 min
Investors are seeking protection in more defensive areas of the market as US President Donald Trump ratchets up trade tensions. European and US equity futures plunge alongside Asian shares amidst fresh tariff uncertainty ahead of the Wednesday tariff deadline. However, 1 August appears to be the new deadline, allowing certain countries more time for negotiations. Mensur Pocinci, Head of Technical Analysis, talks about the optical illusion of recent all-time highs in US equities and the need to h...
Jul 07, 2025•9 min
A solid US jobs report sends global stocks higher and US equities to all-time highs. But the devil lies in the detail. A US Federal Reserve rate cut in July is now off the table, pushing US Treasury yields higher and gold lower. What comes next? Investors are already looking to next week when Wednesday’s tariff deadline looms. Trump has intensified trade tensions even ahead of the deadline, saying the administration would start sending out letters to countries from today. Joining us is Tim Gagie...
Jul 04, 2025•11 min
The S&P 500 reached a new high, fuelled by technology stocks. Despite weak US private jobs data, optimism prevailed thanks to a Vietnam trade deal and significant bank dividend increases. However, UK politics sparked fresh concerns, causing the pound and UK domestic equities to decline. Meanwhile, copper prices are surging due to tariff-induced stockpiling in the US – Carsten Menke, Head of Next Generation Research, provides his take. (00:00) - Introduction: Helen Freer, Investment Writing (...
Jul 03, 2025•12 min
While European stocks had a subdued start yesterday, broader US indices managed to kick off the second half of 2025 firmly in the green, shrugging off concerns on the looming tariff ‘decision day’ on 9 July. However, big tech mega caps dragged down the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq. Talk of the day was the Senate’s passing of the ‘Big, beautiful (tax) bill’ as President Trump calls it, and a flurry of manufacturing activity reports from around the globe, which showed that this part of the economy k...
Jul 02, 2025•14 min
With geopolitics now taking a back seat again, investor attention is moving to US tariffs. Markets are focused on whether the EU and the US can conclude a trade deal in time for the 9 July deadline, while Canadian PM Carney yesterday said that US-Canada trade talks are set to resume after Canada withdrew its digital services tax on US tech companies. US equity markets rose yesterday, with both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq 100 reaching new all-time highs. Manuel Villegas, Next Generation Resear...
Jul 01, 2025•13 min
Global equity markets closed the week on a strong note, fuelled by a series of positive developments. Trade progress, delayed trade deadlines, an important change to Trump's ‘One big, beautiful bill’, and NATO's new defence spending target all contributed to the upward momentum, propelling the S&P 500 to a new all-time high. Meanwhile, gold is on track for its first monthly decline this year. Mensur Pocinci, Head of Technical Analysis, explains why new all-time highs for US equities are a bu...
Jun 30, 2025•8 min
As the US dollar hits a three-and-a-half year low against its major counterparts, global stock markets continue to attract buyers, particularly in Japan, Germany, and the US. With major US equity indices poised to break their previous records set in February, a sense of (rare) geopolitical calm appears to be taking hold, leading to a consolidation in gold prices. Joining us to share his expertise is Tim Gagie, Head of FX/PM Private Banking Sales in Geneva, who shares his views on the weakening U...
Jun 27, 2025•11 min
Nvidia hits new all-time high and NATO members pledge to boost defence spending to 5% of GDP. The EUR/USD currency pair briefly surpasses 1.17 on a report that US president Trump wants to nominate a new Fed chair as early as September. The US Federal Housing Finance Agency is exploring ways to let Fannie Mae and Freddie Mac consider crypto holdings in mortgage approvals. Carsten Menke, Head of Next Generation Research, notes gold is undergoing a short-term mood-driven consolidation. Nicolas Jord...
Jun 26, 2025•15 min
The ceasefire between Israel and Iran appears to be holding, and equity markets worldwide have been buoyed by positive sentiment. This shift in sentiment has also been evident in commodity markets, where oil prices fell back to pre-escalation levels and gold prices declined accordingly. Meanwhile, in the US, attention is focused on Jerome Powell’s testimony before the House Committee, where investors are hoping to gain insight into the Federal Reserve’s future interest rate policy. To discuss th...
Jun 25, 2025•13 min
Oil prices have continued to fall after Trump’s announcement of a ceasefire in the Israel-Iran conflict, as the immediate threat to the vital Strait of Hormuz shipping lane appears to have fallen. Asia-Pacific markets are rallying sharply on the news, while European and US stock futures are also strongly higher. Also on today’s podcast, we are joined by Markus Waeber, Head of Indirect Real Estate Advisory & Intelligence, who provides an update on the Swiss real estate market now that interes...
Jun 24, 2025•14 min
Markets are responding calmly this morning following the US airstrikes on Iran at the weekend, with oil prices initially spiking before retreating to previous levels. Global stocks are trading mixed as investors await potential Iranian reprisals and key economic indicators, including flash Purchasing Managers' Indices and US Personal Consumption Expenditure data later in the week. Key events this week include a speech by European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde today, the NATO summit, a...
Jun 23, 2025•10 min
While US markets were closed yesterday for the Juneteenth holiday, the rest of the world did not escapemarket volatility. Global stocks fell as uncertainty surrounding the Israel-Iran conflict and potential US involvement continued. Meanwhile, central banks made their interest rate announcements: the Swiss National Bank cut its benchmark rate to 0%, whereas the Bank of England kept rates unchanged at 4.25%. This morning, oil prices have reversed slightly, trading lower; while gold is also down, ...
Jun 20, 2025•12 min
Markets await clarity on US involvement in the Middle East conflict. The US Federal Reserve holds rates steady, citing inflation and tariff uncertainty. US bank stocks rise on deregulation hopes, while crypto stocks surge after stablecoin legislation passes. The Swiss National Bank will be the first major central bank to lower interest rates to 0% today. Norbert Rücker, Head of Economics and Next Generation Research, provides our latest views on the oil market amid the war in the Middle East. Ma...
Jun 19, 2025•15 min
Donald Trump says he wants a “real end” to the nuclear dispute with Iran, rather than just a ceasefire in the conflict with Israel, and demands “unconditional surrender”. The escalating tensions and another set of weak US macro data triggered a risk-off sentiment, weighing on equities and boosting oil prices. As the Federal Reserve prepares to announce its interest rate decision later today, investors remain cautious amidst heightened volatility in the energy market and growing concerns about a ...
Jun 18, 2025•12 min
US and European equity markets rallied on Monday, closing their sessions in positive territory. However, after President Trump called for the immediate evacuation of Tehran and decided to abandon the G7 summit to return to Washington, futures turned south. With the exception of Japan, most Asian equity markets turned in a nervous performance overnight as markets wait to see what direction the Israel/Iran situation takes next. US data and tomorrow’s FOMC decision will also be closely monitored. O...
Jun 17, 2025•12 min
