Meanwhile, the US economic slowdown could worsen as the tariff battle with China escalates into a tit-for-tat trade war. Each week, the Syz investment team takes you through the last seven days in seven charts.

U.S. equities advanced during the week, supported by several reports indicating that the ongoing trade tensions between the U.S. and China could be de-escalating. Speculation around near-term agreements with several other trading partners also appeared to be a tailwind, as were comments from President Donald Trump that appeared to walk back his recent threat to fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. Some better-than-expected corporate earnings releases during the week also seemed to be a driver of positive sentiment. According to data from FactSet, 73% of the companies that had reported first-quarter results through Friday morning had beaten consensus earnings expectations. The Nasdaq led the rally, up 4 days in a row (including 3 days gaining more than 2% in a row - the most since 2001).

After weeks of volatility, global fixed income markets stabilized, supported by easing yields and central bank signals, while regional divergences and trade policy developments continue to shape investor sentiment.

Hermès tops LVMH, how Nvidia compares to Cisco, and European travel to the US tanks. Each week, the Syz investment team takes you through the last seven days in seven charts.

Major US stock indexes finished the holiday-shortened week mixed. Smaller-cap indexes outperformed, with the Russell 2000 Index posting gains, while the Dow Jones, S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite indexes all closed the week lower. The Tech sector was a notable decliner during the week, due in part to news that the U.S. government would add new restrictions on exports of chips to China in a further escalation of the ongoing trade war between the world’s two largest economies. Hawkish comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell appeared to add to the negative sentiment in the latter half of the week. On the macro side, US consumer spending rose 1.4% yoy in March, the highest monthly increase in over two years, as consumers rushed to buy cars ahead of the Trump administration’s 25% tariff on automobiles.

Volatility returned across fixed income markets last week as soft economic data, rising inflation expectations, and looming U.S. tariffs forced central banks into cautious mode — with rate expectations shifting, credit spreads widening, and high yield flashing early signs of stress.

Meanwhile, crisis fears triggered a major stock rally last Wednesday. Each week, the Syz investment team takes you through the last seven days in seven charts.

U.S. stocks closed higher after a volatile week in which a slew of trade-related headlines continued to dominate investor sentiment. The week opened with equities sharply lower, as negative sentiment intensified ahead of Wednesday’s implementation of the Trump administration’s latest round of tariffs. However, on Wednesday, Trump announced that he was authorizing a 90-day pause on the higher reciprocal tariffs for most countries to allow time for negotiations. The news sent stocks rocketing higher, with the Nasdaq Composite gaining over 12% and logging its second-best day on record.

Flash note

The first quarter of 2025 has been a particularly turbulent one for the financial markets: US equities had their worst relative performance in 23 years, Chinese markets rebounded, gold reached new highs and economic and geopolitical uncertainties fuelled volatility. Here are 10 charts that highlight the first three months of the year.