Category commodities

WORRY ABOUT BONDS! It’s a Judder Moment as we prepare for brutal Political Risk escalation.

Fitch threw a spanner into the works last night downgrading the US – but they were right to do so. Political risks in the US and UK – both are approaching peak electoral cycle crises points  – are rising and the disinformation wars will ensure it gets… fruity.

Learning from mistakes to call the next ones…

The debt ceiling crisis has lifted a cloud from markets, but we’re still looking for resolution on inflation, geopolitics and a host of other issues. Maybe the real issues are about valuations – which remain over-extraordinary.

Forget the multiple perils of markets – go buy a ticket to Guys and Dolls instead!

Markets are taking a breather after the recent wobbles, but the threat board has never looked, well, more threatening! Relax. Go see Guys and Dolls instead and treat yourself to a great night out.. tomorrow it will be miserable again!

Inflation, FAANGs and Airplanes – where the real world and finance collide!

Markets are being whipsawed by rate hike threats from Central Banks, China lockdowns, the Ukraine war, while being stalked by inflation and stagflation. The big risk remains policy mistakes – trying to solve these with the wrong monetary and fiscal policies.

The risks of appeasing Russia versus the risks of not.

Markets are nervous and set to tumble – spooked by $140 oil, soaring commodities, rising populism on inflation, and stagflationary risks. Some ask: “perhaps this could all be avoided by settling with Putin?” Forget the past at your peril. Appeasement is not the answer. Intimidation stops when you fight back. Now is the time for the west to step up the pressure.

How many reasons to be miserable about markets do you need?

It’s going to be a testing week for markets as a whole slew of negatives, challenges and no-see-ums threaten to overturn everything. It couldn’t look worse… unless of course you remember my key market mantra (read on), and that the sun usually comes up tomorrow. Happy Valentines.. 

2021 – That was the Year that Was…

“The future may dimly be perceived through the veil of the past”, sounds like bad poetry, but has a point. The confusions and conflabulations that characterised 2021 will likely set the tone for what’s coming – what were the key themes of 2021? Best to understand them before trying to fathom what comes next.