The world Europe confronts is changing rapidly. On the hand, the United States is becoming widely viewed as an indispensible, but unreliable ally. Equally importantly, the global economy appears to be entering an era of rapid technological change for which Europe is not fully prepared. To be sure, the region enjoys an enviable economic model; [...]
Tag: tariffs
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 [...]
Strategy 2025: Pivoting from Trump 2.0 Trades?
12 December 2024 In my Strategy 2024 blog entitled "Powell Pivot: What Could Go Wrong or Right?", I suggested global financial markets had entered a cyclical sweet spot. Specifically, the combination of steady (if uneven) global growth, declining inflation, and easing monetary conditions pointed to higher equity market valuations. Indeed, even my bullish S&P 500 [...]