In his inaugural speech, President Trump pledged a "revolution of common sense". However, as French Enlightenment philospher Voltaire warned, "common sense is not so common". In his recent so-called Liberation Day presentation, Mr. Trump combined a misreading of history and poor economic analysis; unveiling "reciprocal" tariffs on the nation's trading partners. The aim, we are [...]
Category: USA
Trump 2.0 Tariffs: Everyone Loses
Until now, financial markets have adopted a complacent "wait and see" approach when considering the prospects for the Trump 2.0 trade policy. However, the hope the new Administration's bark would be worse than its bite has been dashed with the imposition of high tariffs on the nation's three largest trading partners. Markets should now contemplate [...]
Bond Yields Rising: Don’t Be Confused
24 January 2025 Remarkably, even though the US Federal Reserve has lowered the Fed funds rate by 100bp since last September, US bond yields have risen sharply (roughly 100bp). Market commentators have offered a wide range of explanations for this unusual development. As the incoming Administration has signalled a significant shift in economic strategy, investors [...]
China 2025: Prepared for Trump 2.0?
How the Sino-American geopolitical relationship evolves during the second Trump presidency may prove to be the key economic and financial market issue in 2025 and beyond. To be sure, the incoming Administration's strategy is still evolving. Pundits consider which of the so-called "C" policy options Mr. Trump will implement, and what the ultimate strategic objectives [...]