Global Markets Ongoing trade concerns and a less dovish than hoped Federal Reserve saw global stocks edge lower last week. Reflecting risk-off sentiment, bond yields also dropped back while the $US and gold lifted. On the trade front, China’s decision to cancel a planned trip to US farms plus Trump’s declaration he wants a “complete

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Global Markets Global equities continued to recover last week, buoyed by ongoing signs of a thawing in the frosty trade relations between the United States and China. Each side offered the other olive branches, with China agreeing to exempt certain US imports from tariffs and the US announcing a two week delay before planned tariff

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Global Markets Global equities enjoyed another positive week thanks largely to confirmation that the US and China will engage in another round of trade talks next month. Bond yields pushed higher and gold eased as ‘risk-on’ sentiment tentatively prevailed in markets. Despite weakness in global manufacturing data, service sector surveys in both Europe and the

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Global Markets After a very worrying start, global equities eventually recovered over the course of last week – thanks to no immediate Chinese retaliation to Trumps’s latest tariffs hikes and ongoing signals that the two sides are still at least talking.  Hope springs eternal! It helped also that US economic data remained encouraging.  US Q2

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Global Markets While hopes of a stabilisation in trade tensions and more policy stimulus (with talk of a US payroll tax cut and German fiscal action) helped to buoy equity markets early last week, all that was dashed by Friday’s tit-for-tat escalation in the trade row. China’s long threatened retaliatory move came on Friday, with

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Global Markets Global equities remained on the back foot last week as the previous week’s US decision to levy additional tariffs on China was quickly met with Chinese retaliation.  China’s decision to let it’s currency weaken through the “psychological” level of  7 Yuan per $1US dollar unnerved markets – as did its ban on the

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Global Markets Global equities slumped last week reflecting two negative events: disappointment with regard to Fed guidance and Trump’s new tariffs.  A flight to safety saw long-term bond yields plumb new lows, the $A weaken, and $US and gold prices firm.  The $A has now hit my target level of US 68c, somewhat earlier than

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Global Markets Global equities pushed higher again last week reflecting encouraging US economic data and earnings results, along with hopes this week of both renewed US-China trade talks and a Fed rate cut.  Washington also called a truce on the annual US budget fight, with debt ceiling provisions suspended for 2 years.  Trump also hosed

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Global Markets Global equities pulled back from record highs last week – reflecting an early batch of mixed US earnings results and continuing disappointment that the Fed is still not inclined to cut rates by an aggressive 0.5% next week.  Trump’s renewed sabre rattling – suggesting a deal with China was still some way off

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Global Markets Wall Street pushed onward to new record highs last week as US Fed chair Powell all but assured markets there’d be a rate cut later this month.  That said, it still seems likely the Fed will only cut by 0.25% – rather than the 0.5% the market had once been been hoping for

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