Market Commentary Library

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Ask me no questions and I will tell you no lies

European stocks, particularly German ones, are set for a positive start, as Friedrich Merz’s Conservatives have won Germany’s election, and the AfD...

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When the grey skies turn to blue, meet me on a bright and windy day. Chris Rea

A large, well-known US retailer’s shares fell around 6% after posting numbers that just about met expectations whilst offering a slightly cautious...

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Five years on

Deciding what to write can sometimes be testing; I am grateful again to Mr Authers for pointing out that on this day...

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A raft of UK economic data this week

US equity markets remain close to historic highs despite an inflationary report that pointed to inflation rates remaining stubbornly above the Fed’s...

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Prices rising, stocks rising the underlying economic picture in the US trending lower

Without going into the details, and probably to no real surprise, the release of the latest monthly US inflation data exceeded expectations....

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Yesterdays paper telling yesterdays news

Despite the daily slew of headline news, much of which has the potential to rattle investor sentiment, equity and bond markets remain...

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“Worrying Is as effective as trying to solve an algebra equation by chewing Bubble gum” Baz Luhrmann

While US corporate earnings have been the focus over the past few weeks, this week’s focus will turn back to macroeconomics, particularly...

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Optimism abounds

As widely predicted, the Bank of England cut interest rates by 25 basis points, and with its latest economic review, it forecasts...

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Truflation and Acquired take a look

Trump’s 2nd term is causing a stir, that’s for sure; a day does not go by without him making headlines of one...

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DeepSeek, the 6 million dollar man

So the first-month ends, in some ways, not the most eventful but maybe thought-provoking. So far, Trump got the benefit of the...

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An eventful start to 2025

An eventful end to the month looks like ending as it started on a positive note, with the impact of the DeepSeek...

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Come gather round people where ever you roam

As the week started, the focus was on what the Fed would do, how Powell would handle his first press conference with...

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The answer my friend is blowing in the wind

Trump 2.0 is in full swing, and global stock markets generally applauded his return. The S&P 500 gained almost 2% in the...

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Powell v Trump let the fun begin

The triumphant return of Mr Trump’s return to the White House saw US equity markets return to record highs last seen at...

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The S&P 500 a lesson in concerntration

A recent article in the Financial Times highlighted the fund flows away from active funds to passive ETFs; last year, 500 billion...

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Well, she was an American girl Raised on promises Tom Petty

Equity and bond markets had not had the best of ends to 2024 or the best of starts to 2025. However, last...

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An eventful week comes to a close

An eventful week comes to an end. In summary, the US banks delivered some strong earnings reports, setting a promising start to...

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Rachel Reeves gets a little breathing space

Yesterday’s Producer Price Index reported a 0.2% month-on-month rise in output prices against the expected 0.3%. Year over year, prices rose by...

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The holiday season ends here

There was an adage that stronger employment numbers were bad for equity markets and vice versa; why? Simply because strong employment indicated...

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“We must adjust to changing times and still hold to unchanging principles.” Jmiity Carter

There is a sense of irony in the UK today; not so long ago, Liz Truss’s government was vilified for presenting a...

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No body cares till they do

The year is starting rather as it ended 2024, generally with the US economy appearing to be resilient and the market becoming...

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Plenty to focus on as the New Year starts

The year-end Santa Rally fizzled out. Indeed, the All World Country Index fell just over 2% in December, dragging the index lower...

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The Fed finishes 2024 rather as it ended 2023

This will probably be my last post of the year as I take a break over the festive period 2024. The US...

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To cut or not to cut that is the question

Ahead of the Fed later today and the Bank of England tomorrow, both central banks have been given reasons why they could...

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Will the Bank of England deliver some Christmas cheer?

The final full week before the Christmas break will not be a quiet one. The central banks of the US and UK...

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Whats going on

A colleague and I have just spent two days at a Nasdaq investor conference, where we met with a varied selection of...

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Bitcoin, one way to look at it

Bitcoin is a divisive topic; some believe in it, and others think it is just another example of a speculative bubble, the...

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The bears are hibernating for winter it would seem.

Before we discuss the events of the past week and the week ahead, I want to point you to a piece we...

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Theres a kind of hush

The last month of the year feels like it has started where the previous months left off on a positive note. Just...

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A rising tide does not flaot my boat

Monthly retail sales data recorded a sharp drop in November, which is probably further evidence that the nation is concerned about the...

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The bulls are on a charge

Despite concerns about interest rates, tariffs, and some mixed economic data, as the Citi economic surprise index shows signs of rolling over...

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Happy Thanksgiving

So the saying goes: When the US economy sneezes, the world catches a cold. Likewise, when Wall Street takes a day off,...

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Trump reassures markets with the appointment of a heavy weight as Treasury secretary

Media comments from Donald Trump briefly rattled the market as he appeared to double down on his tariff threats. Trump pledged on...

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Buffets cashing in as many investors go to the races.

Last week’s rather indifferent UK economic data did not stop the FTSE 100 from having one of its best weeks in a...

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Use it or lose it

Nvidia, post the results was probably the least exciting thing that happened to technology shares yesterday as the news that the US...

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Nvidia tonight, are they now more important than the Fed

Tonight, Nvidia reports its earnings; some commentators apparently consider the report more important than the Fed’s rate decision. Some investment opportunities often...

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Trump trade takes a breather as the market focus turns to inflation fears

The adrenalin rush for US stocks came to a halt this week as the S&P 500 and the treasury market reacted to...

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Weak growth has the market unimpressed

In his speech last night, Jerome Powell might be backing off the idea of a Fed cut in December. October CPI and...

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Tomorrow is yesterday today

The adrenaline rush in US stocks has been on since the US election result came to a halt yesterday, as stocks in...

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Back to life, back to reality

It was a very busy week with the weekend press full of the implications of a Trump second term. One can easily...

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Trump two, equity and bond markets had opposing views

We now know, and by a resounding victory, that Mr Trump will be the next President of the United States, again defying...

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America goes to the polls

By the time anyone reads this, we may know who will hold the keys to the White House for the next four...