Week 25

Macro The main macro development this week was the sharp reduction in geopolitical risk following the interim US-Iran agreement. The deal established a 60-day negotiation period, reopened the Strait of Hormuz, lifted naval blockades, and temporarily allowed Iran to resume oil exports. With roughly 160 million barrels of crude previously trapped in the Gulf expected to re-enter global markets, investors rapidly repriced the risk of a prolonged energy shock. Beyond…

Week 24

Macro The macro narrative this week shifted from pure Iran-war risk toward a more complicated mix of geopolitical de-escalation hopes, sticky but moderating inflation, higher-for-longer central banks, and renewed frontier-tech exuberance. Trump again claimed that a peace deal with Iran could be signed “in the coming days,” and oil fell sharply after he cancelled planned retaliatory strikes. Front-month WTI dropped to $85.05/bbl, down 5.8% w/w, while Brent fell to $87.81/bbl,…

Week 23

Macro The dominant macro development this week was a significant reassessment of the US growth and policy outlook. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 172K in May versus expectations near 90K, while upward revisions pushed average job creation over the past three months to roughly 188K per month, the strongest stretch in more than two years. Hiring broadened across manufacturing, construction, restaurants and government, while ISM Manufacturing rose to 54.0, its highest…

Week 22

Macro Increasing geopolitical fragmentation remains the dominant macro theme. Despite disruption to Gulf energy flows, the Russia-Ukraine war, rising fiscal pressures and ongoing supply-chain stress, developed-market growth has remained more resilient than expected, and risk assets continue to perform well. The global economy remains increasingly bifurcated between AI-driven investment strength and a consumer sector facing higher fuel, food, freight and borrowing costs. Consensus expectations remain cautious. A recent survey of…

Week 21

Macro The dominant macro theme remained the US-Iran conflict and the continued closure of the Strait of Hormuz, as markets increasingly abandoned the view that the disruption was temporary. After more than 80 days of disruption, investors have begun shifting from a “headline risk” framework toward a “persistent supply shock” framework. Brent crude traded around $110, and WTI around $106-108 during the week, as concerns grew that strategic reserves, commercial…

Week 20

Macro The macro backdrop deteriorated further as markets increasingly shifted from pricing geopolitical tail risk toward pricing sustained energy, inflation and supply-chain disruption. Investors no longer treated the Iran shock as temporary. Brent remained above $100/bbl for most of the week, while the back end of global yield curves repriced materially higher, signalling growing acceptance that disruption risks may persist well beyond the immediate military phase. Importantly, markets increasingly recognise…