Western economies succeed because bond and stock markets work together. Bond markets enable governments to finance the optimal conditions for invention and innovation, enabling growth and prosperity. Sometimes Markets fall out of line, while Politics are ruled by votes rather than experience – and that’s where the wobbles start to multiply.

In Bonds there is truth. While government bond yields have risen some 40-50 basis points since the Iran War, and yield curves have steepened, we are not in crisis territory yet. However, the risks of “higher for longer” rates, and sustained inflation have risen. These will impact credit markets and potentially trigger a cascading corporate crisis – leading to all kinds of hell that governments and central banks are now ill-equipped to deal with.

Trump dominates the headlines but watch what’s happening in the bond markets. Yesterday Japan bond yields juddered a warning about political competency risks, but also how rising geopolitical and conflict risks are resetting investor expectations. When the bond market speaks, you ought to listen. Plus, Air Force One, Bitcoin and Howard Lutnick.

Y’day we had yet another Judder Moment for markets as the Fed surrendered to Trump and prepares to juice the markets with renewed QE. Have we learnt nothing? No, I guess we have not. Pretend and keep pretending as we enter the Potemkin Economy era. This will not end well.

Gold has been an absolute portfolio star this year. It’s ridden the markets rising fears on sovereign debt, inflation and political incompetency. What will drive it back down? It seems unlikely fears will lessen, especially if predictions of rising instability and stagflation prove founded.

Japan’s Bond market may prove the dead canary in the coal mine warning of an imminent systemic global bond crisis. Although US stocks have staged a “Terminal Lucidity” recovery – it may prove unsustainable as the shocks start to mount, and Japanese liquidity melts away.

The market is probably overstressing on Trump – but he does make a lot of noise. A bigger danger may be the broader signals and the future of the USA as economic hegemon. At a time when the US Debt clock is spinning so fast you can’t read the numbers, could the USA withstand a Dollar, Treasury and Political Competency Crisis? Let me explain by taking you to the top of a very steep mountain.

As the clock ticks down to the US Coronation, markets are aligning for Donald Trump: a sustainable Treasury market, a strong dollar and Trump’s Treasury pick, Scott Bessent set to demonstrate competency at his senate hearing. What could possibly go wrong?

Scott Bessent’s nomination as US Treasury Secretary has been welcomed by markets. The expectation is he will use Trump’s rhetoric to negotiate more optimal outcomes. However, the World is changing – not just in terms of China and other nations emerging as challengers in a new global economy, but also in terms of how Trump could reset America domestically.