Interesting times indeed. Mr Market seldom looks beyond the end of his own nose, but the World is looking increasingly fraxious these days. Big nations have ever bigger problems. Maybe smaller ones will do better? The end of strong states often results in smaller nations competing harder to thrive, leading to competitive frictions!

Month 1 of Trump V2 has been…. “interesting”. The playbook is not to win friends, but to shock former allies into compliance with Trump’s America First agenda. The results may not be what Trump and his minions expect. There will be push back. New Alliances and Trade patterns will form - with or without America.

The weekend’s events in Syria highlight dramatic and swift change at the core of the geopolitical instability that’s defined the last few years. The cost in blood from conflict has been horrendous, but from a market and stability perspective there is now more to be positive about. Russia and Iran’s defeat in Syria could even trigger global recovery!

Compare and contrast Boeing and Aramco. Boeing – an extraordinary example of corporate failure. In the Middle East, soon to be King, Crown Prince Mohammed Bin Salman of Saudi Arabia is using Aramco’s wealth to shake the current regional order.

There is a crisis brewing – things are likely to get worse before they get better on the back of Political Dither, a Reverse Big Bang in the City of London, and the Escalation of the Middle East crisis threatens higher energy costs and inflation!

Golf – you have to laugh. But there is serious upside to be made from global sports franchise values as leisure time, AI, and prosperous middle classes emerge around the globe. Saudi might be the proverbial bull in a China-shop with their wallet, but it’s a plan!

The last few days have confirmed we are in a Global Economic Energy War. It is remaking the global order – and will have significant long-term effects on Global Markets. As the sides shift, there will be winners and losers.