Fear Subsides on Reports of Iran Talks

Amid reports of potential talks between European leaders and Iran, and the White House suggesting that the US may take a couple of weeks to decide whether to launch an attack against Iran, investors appear to be dialling down their defensive postures. The price of Brent Crude Oil is down 3.2% this morning while Gold […]

Stocks Slide Amid Central Bank Decisions

US exchanges are closed for the Juneteenth holiday, but that has not stopped traders from reacting to political and monetary developments. Overseas markets are down in overnight trading with Hang Seng losing 2.0%, the Nikkei sliding 1.0%, the DAX dropping 0.6%, and the FTSE falling 0.4%. US index futures are down 0.4%-0.6% ahead of closing […]

Markets Stabilize as Focus Turns to Central Banks

There were no major new developments in the Middle East overnight, so investors’ focus has now turned to central banks with three interest rate decisions due over the next 24 hours. The Fed is expected to announce that it is holding the Fed Funds rate steady at 4.50% at 2:00 pm EDT, leaving investors to […]

War Concerns Weigh on Investor Sentiment

Fears that the war in the Middle East could escalate further appear to be weighing on world markets this morning after President Trump left the G7 summit early and issued an online warning telling people to get out of Tehran. This morning finds US index futures down about 0.4% while in Europe the Dax is […]

Markets Digest War Developments; G7 and Fed Meet This Week

Clawing back some of Friday’s 1.1%-1.8% US index losses, US index futures are up 0.6% to 0.8% this morning. The price of Gold is down 0.5%, the price of Oil is down 1.1% and the price of Bitcoin is up 1.4%. This action suggests that some of the fear which gripped markets when the Israel-Iran […]

Trade Uncertainty Continues to Overhang Stocks

SIA Wealth Morning Minutes will not be issued the weeks of June 2nd or June 9th. They should return on Monday, June 16th. The last trading day of May finds US index futures clawing back earlier losses. Following the release of benign Core PCE inflation data (2.5% as expected vs previous 2.7%) US index futures are […]

Market Rally Pauses As Investors Digest and Await Earnings Reports

Stocks have paused their advance overnight to consolidate yesterday’s big gains. US index futures are currently flat to up 0.2%, coming off a day of 1.8% to 2.5% gains. In Europe this morning, the major indices are flat to down 0.2% and Asia Pacific indices were flat to down 0.5%, the Hang Seng taking the […]

US Stocks Surge as Trading Resumes

US investors appear to be returning from the Memorial Day long weekend ready to celebrate the weekend news that President Trump has delayed the imposition of 50% tariffs on EU countries to July 9 from June 1 to allow time for more talks. On this news US index futures are up 1.2%-1.5%, erasing all of […]

Trump Tariff Tweets Sink Stocks

What was looking like a quiet Friday was turned on its head by President Trump this morning after he launched a new round of tariff threats. Specifically, Trump threatened a 25% tariff against Apple unless it brings iPhone production to the US and also a 50% potential tariff against the EU starting June 1st. This […]

US Political Woes Weigh on Wall Street

For much of this year, market movements have been driven by international political developments, particularly trade and tariff tensions between the US and other major economies. This week, however, the focus has shifted to domestic politics, as attention turns to the White House’s tax and spending bill currently moving through Congress. Concerns that the bill […]