A Friday feel to Thursday today but possibly in anticipation of a Thursday feel to Friday’s tape tomorrow. Quarterly options expiries and index reweights providing a liquidity event ahead of a jam packed macro week next week. There was a bit to keep on top off as we headed in the afternoon and it finally felt like both Yields and Equities couldn’t continue to climb in tandem. Yields had a sizeable move post a hotter than expected PPI – U.S PPI was stronger than expected up from 1.0% in January…

There is just nowhere else to start today than the red headline that flashed through early this morning – “Euro Stoxx 50 hits 5,000 points for first time in 24 years’. I may be revealing a bit too much but the last time it was here I was probably somewhere collecting Pokémon cards. In Europe we’ve been hearing (and if honest getting a lit bit bored/envious) of all the chatter re how well the Mag 7, Nasdaq and S&P 500 have done but a quick look at the YTD index performance will show the Euro Sto…

It’s been a while since I have done one of these so please forgive any tardiness on my behalf. A few weeks away from the screens always tends to sooth the soul and give a fresh perspective and I’ve been impressed with what Equities have managed to do. We approach a big expiry on Friday which could open the door to some more volatile moves next week especially with a number of Central Banks updating us (BoJ, Fed, BOE) 3 days on the trot but for now we are grinding higher, with the odd pull back…

1992, a fantastic year that saw Kris Kross make us “Jump”, Jon Secada claimed it was “just another day”, Bobby Brown was “Humpin Around”, Right Said Fred declared “I’m too sexy” and the great Luther Vandross & Janet Jackson reminded us “The best things in life are free”. But something disappeared in 1992, and hasn’t made a comeback until 2024… Vinyl! OK, OK, vinyl itself didn’t actually ‘go’ anywhere, but today it has reappeared in the UK Consumer Price Inflation basket for the first time since…

The big gets bigger, because it helps you get smaller… If I had a pound (lb) for every time I wrote about Novo Nordisk & their weight loss drug I’d be very well off, but today something happened that could take things to the next level, and we can seemingly thank trypanophobia. Novo Nordisk had their CMD today in Copenhagen, and they aren’t normally one to announce big reveals at these events, but what appeared on the surface an innocuous headline, that amycretin demonstrated 13% weight loss in…

When it comes to accessories synonymous with finance, the good old brick mobile phone of the late 80’s, a bowler hat, FT tucked under the arm, the chalk stripe suit all spring to mind, or more recently a Patagonia gilet has to be outerwear of choice. But there’s nothing quite like the red briefcase to keep investors & the UK public on tenterhooks as they await the budget, and given Conservatives have much work to do in arresting the yawning gap with Labour on the popularity front, expectations…

Sometimes, the more hyped an event becomes, the greater the disappointment. Often that film sequel just doesn’t quite fulfil the anticipation (Ghostbusters 2, Jaws 2/3/4 etc we’re looking at you), or that ‘must visit’ restaurant when the steak comes up warm or the mains don’t come at the same time (The Devonshire I’m looking at you). Whatever it may be, the disappointment can sometimes do more damage than the hype into the event. China’s National People’s Congress started today and after 2023’s…

As much as I love finding a great pub for a Sunday roast, you can’t beat cooking it yourself (outside of the obvious clearing up, and Mrs W thinking I’d set fire to the kitchen after searing off the roast sirloin joint y’day). Being master of your own portion controls is worth it alone, but as I never like to do anything by halves, creating a lot from scratch I’m usually met with an overwhelmingly long list of to do’s, so preparation is key. It felt a little like that when looking at the long l…

I was tasked with dressing, feeding and taking my two young kids for their school play earlier this week, all the while working from home. It seems straightforward but is funny when even a simple (it’s major) thing like my 5 year old refusing to put her clothes on throws off all of my timing. Clothes over food, toothbrush over hairbrush, gotta pick your spots and do the best you can. Today’s market felt a bit similar. Between Feb month end with MSCI rebalances, another cooler inflation read cr…

I was asked today if Bitcoin was a safe haven currency at the moment. Unsure exactly how to answer this one without my mind wondering/wandering around speculative bubbles (and central bank QE policy hedges) in general, I kept reminding myself that understanding when to buy and sell something “safe” can be difficult in any environment, but identifying bubbles (be them tulip bulbs, Japan real estate in the 80’s, Internet stocks, China property, venture capital valuations or NFT’s in late 2021) is…