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France under pressure, the Middle East on fire: Wall Street holds firm amid high interest rates and a housing crisis.
Political variables are weighing on markets as much as economic data. Protests in France are questioning investors about the sustainability of European public finances, while the war in the Middle East continues to impact energy prices. Wall Street is regaining momentum thanks to technology and corporate earnings, despite high interest rates. Meanwhile, China and the United States are showing signs of a housing crisis. France: Social crisis becomes a problem for European debt
7 hours ago
Inflation, AI, and Oil: Markets Rediscover the Cost of Capital
Between Wednesday, October 14th, and Friday, October 16th, financial markets received a stark reminder: the era of expensive capital may last longer than expected. US inflation, energy tensions, and doubts about the financial sustainability of the artificial intelligence boom intertwined, generating sell-offs in technology stocks and a renewed revision of interest rate expectations. The picture has become even more complex with the return of geopolitical risk on oil and with
4 days ago
Oil, rates, and luxury goods: markets are pricing in geopolitical risk again.
Between October 10 and 13, risk reignited in the Middle East, while in Europe, high energy prices and the weak euro exacerbated an already fragile situation. In the United States, however, the market simultaneously absorbed very high bond yields and more uncertain signals about the sustainability of equity valuations. The Middle East brings the geopolitical premium back to oil The turning point came with the attack attributed to the Houthis on Riyadh airport, which left at le
7 days ago
Yields hit record highs, oil above $100, and renewed pressure on Europe
The return of bond risk The financial week between October 7 and 9 was dominated by the return of a theme that markets had temporarily put on the back burner: the cost of capital. In the United States, the renewed rise in Treasury yields brought long-term rates back to levels not seen in over two decades, rekindling concerns about equity valuations and the sustainability of the most debt-dependent investments. Wall Street responded with an initial correction, with the Dow Jon
Oct 10
Geopolitics and debt divide markets as AI pushes Wall Street to record highs
Between October 3rd and 6th, financial markets experienced a seemingly contradictory phase. On the one hand, the war in the Middle East and tensions in the Black Sea continued to threaten energy and international trade; on the other, several military developments reduced the risk of immediate disruptions to major shipping routes. At the same time, Europe returned to grappling with its public debt problem, while Wall Street continued to look beyond: artificial intelligence pus
Oct 6
Fed slows, Europe under pressure: markets split on rates, energy, and AI
Between late September and early October, financial markets exhibited two very different speeds. In the United States, softer macroeconomic data reduced fears of another immediate rate hike, allowing stocks to recover ground. In Europe, by contrast, accelerating inflation, pressure on energy prices, and tensions over French debt kept volatility high. In the background, oil prices above $100 and the rush to invest in artificial intelligence continued to push markets and expect
Oct 3
Oil, record yields, and AI: markets caught between war and the cost of capital
Between Saturday, September 26th, and Tuesday, September 29th, financial markets returned to action under pressure from an increasingly fragile equilibrium. The conflict between the United States and Iran brought oil back to the forefront, fueling inflation expectations and pushing bond yields higher again. The effect spread from energy to Treasuries, from equities to precious metals, while the technology sector continued to find a significant source of support in artificial
Sep 29
Yields above 5%, a strong dollar, and AI: markets between growth and geopolitics
Growth too strong to please the markets Between Wednesday, September 23, and Friday, September 25, financial markets faced a now-familiar paradox: better-than-expected economic data isn't necessarily good news for risky assets. In the United States, the September flash composite PMI rose to 58.4 , the highest level since July 2021, signaling a very robust acceleration in private activity. This reading reinforced the idea that the US economy could continue to sustain persisten
Sep 26
Oil drops below $100, Nasdaq hits record highs as markets bet on diplomacy and AI
Between the weekend and Tuesday, financial markets experienced a rapid rebalancing phase. After weeks dominated by the conflict between the United States and Iran and the risk of further energy supply disruptions, investors began to price in a possible diplomatic easing. The result was a sharp decline in oil prices, a partial decline in bond yields, and a return to risk appetite, especially in the technology sector. At the same time, however, the prospect of a still-restricti
Sep 22
Fed raises rates, Europe with fewer gas supplies
Between Wednesday and Friday, markets experienced one of the most tense periods in recent weeks. The common thread was the return of inflation risk, fueled by oil prices still above $100 , the war in the Middle East, and a Federal Reserve that had once again raised interest rates. The result was a rapid repositioning between stocks, bonds, currencies, and precious metals, with often opposing movements within a few hours. The Fed changes the picture again The key news came fro
Sep 19
US-Iran war worsens: yields rise and AI claims shake markets
Between September 12 and 15, financial markets faced a particularly challenging combination: geopolitical escalation in the Middle East, a new energy shock, expectations of tighter monetary policy, and a sharp correction in the artificial intelligence (AI) technology sector. The result was a cross-sectional movement across nearly all major asset classes. Oil returned above $100, bond yields reached levels not seen in years, the dollar strengthened, and global equities lost gr
Sep 15
US-Iran conflict, rising prices and rising rates
Between September 9th and 11th, global markets encountered an old enemy: the energy shock . The escalation between the United States and Iran transformed the Strait of Hormuz into the world economy's main flashpoint, while the Houthi advance on the Red Sea front added a second risk to trade routes. The shift from geopolitics to inflation, from energy prices to bond yields, and finally to equity valuations, was rapid. Oil is back to setting the pace The week changed tone when
Sep 12
Oil reserves, rising rates, and politics: Markets are back under pressure.
Between September 5th and 8th, financial markets had to absorb an uncomfortable combination: geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, high energy prices, rising bond yields, and macroeconomic data that, rather than offering relief, reinforced the idea of continued restrictive central banks. The result was a market less willing to pay high multiples on equities and more sensitive to any signs of inflation. Oil and reserves: energy risk returns to the forefront The energy issu
Sep 8
Markets between oil, rates and AI
Between Wednesday and Friday, financial markets experienced a period in which geopolitics, inflation, and monetary policy once again became strongly intertwined. The deterioration in relations between the United States and Iran brought oil back to the forefront of macroeconomic valuations, while US jobs data pushed bond yields higher and reignited debate over the Federal Reserve's next moves. Against this backdrop, Wall Street alternated between positive sessions and profit-t
Sep 5
Markets between Hormuz and rates: the return of geopolitical risk shakes up the beginning of September.
From the weekend to the start of September, geopolitics, energy, and interest rates began to move together again. The renewed exchange of attacks between the United States and Iran brought the risk of disruptions in the Strait of Hormuz back to the forefront of valuations, while the surge in oil and gas prices reignited inflationary pressures just as the Federal Reserve and the ECB appeared poised for further monetary tightening. The result was a more nervous market, with bon
Sep 1
Softer inflation, but the Fed hasn't won yet
Markets received seemingly reassuring signals from the United States, but evident tension remained beneath the surface. Inflation slowed, Wall Street found new support, and expectations of a Federal Reserve hike diminished. At the same time, however, the bond market continued to demand a high premium to finance US debt, while Japan and the Middle East added new sources of volatility. In July, the US CPI increased by 0.1% on a monthly basis and by 3.4% on an annual basis, a sl
Aug 15
Markets between the US and Iran, rates and AI: geopolitical risk returns to the forefront alongside European corporate earnings.
Between Saturday, August 8th, and Tuesday, August 11th, financial markets rediscovered an old driver of volatility: geopolitics. The confrontation between the United States and Iran over the Strait of Hormuz reopened the risk premium on energy, while the attacks in the Bab el-Mandeb reminded investors how vulnerable key shipping lanes remain. Meanwhile, gold and Treasuries reacted to the renewed tensions, stocks lost momentum, and Europe continued to find support in corporate
Aug 11
Hormuz, gold, and US jobs: three days that changed the price of risk.
Between Wednesday, August 5th, and Friday, August 7th, financial markets experienced three sessions dominated by a fragile equilibrium. On the one hand, the possibility of a de-escalation between the United States and Iran temporarily reduced the geopolitical premium on energy; on the other, the Strait of Hormuz remained a lever in Tehran's hands. However, the US labor market definitively changed the market tone, reopening the debate on the Federal Reserve's next move on Frid
Aug 8
Markets amid US halt in attacks, growth in America and Europe, and Chinese slowdown
Between Saturday, August 1st, and Tuesday, August 4th, markets experienced a typical sequence: geopolitical risk remained elevated, but investors responded primarily to the possibility of the US-Iran crisis entering a negotiation phase. The result was a rapid shift of capital from oil to equities, metals, and interest rate-sensitive assets, while traffic in the Strait of Hormuz continued to demonstrate how far normalization still remained. The OPEC+ paradox: more quotas, but
Aug 4
The Fed, Oil, and Big Tech: Three Days of Markets Without a Single Direction
Between July 29th and 31st, financial markets experienced a sequence of contrasting shocks. First, the Federal Reserve disappointed those seeking clear guidance on interest rates; then, tensions in the Middle East pushed oil prices back above a significant psychological threshold; finally, the results of major technology companies transformed Wall Street into a market dominated by extreme and selective movements. More than a simple shift from fear to optimism, it was a consta
Aug 1
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