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Amid dovish signals from the Fed and an expected SNB rate cut, bond markets diverged —European yields surged on fiscal expansion, Japanese long bonds hit historic highs, and EM resilience was tested by political and inflationary shocks.

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26/03/2025

The Fed holds rates, the Turkish lira tumbles, investors ditch the US for Europe. Each week, the Syz investment team takes you through the last seven days in seven charts.

U.S. stocks closed the week higher, with most indexes snapping multi-week declines. Major indices rebounded on Friday after President Donald Trump said there would be some “flexibility” with tariffs. However, he maintained that the tariffs implemented at the April 2 deadline will be reciprocal, saying all countries that have tariffs on U.S. goods will be charged. The Dow Jones Industrial Average was the best weekly performer, advancing 1.2% while the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite was the worst-performing index during the week. Value outperformed growth for the fifth consecutive week, bringing its total year-to-date outperformance to 897 basis points.

The US Federal Reserve held its target range for the Fed Funds rate unchanged yesterday, as widely expected, and the SNB -- one last cut, likely done in a highly uncertain environment.

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20/03/2025

Rising policy uncertainty is shaking up global fixed income markets—U.S. high-yield spreads surpass Europe for the first time since 2021, German yields surge on fiscal expansion, and central banks face tough choices amid inflation risks and slowing growth

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17/03/2025

S&P 500 steady as US debt soars past defence spending. Each week, the Syz investment team takes you through the last seven days in seven charts.

A rally on Friday couldn’t spare US stocks from weekly losses. The Dow fell roughly 3.1% for its worst week since March 2023. The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq both dropped more than 2% and posted their fourth consecutive losing week. Ongoing uncertainty surrounding trade policy seemed to drive much of the negative sentiment as new tariff announcements continued throughout the week. Growth concerns and increasing recession fears—which were amplified by comments from President Trump regarding a “period of transition” for the U.S. economy—also weighed on sentiment during the week.

Global fixed income markets saw historic moves last week, with German yields posting their second-largest weekly surge on record, the ECB delivering another rate cut, and U.S. rate expectations shifting higher.

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10/03/2025

ReArm Europe’s €800bn defence plan is boosting European defense stocks while Germany’s historic debt move sends bond yields to their worst drop since 1990. Each week, the Syz investment team takes you through the last seven days in seven charts.

Stocks suffered their worst week in six months as an avalanche of geopolitical and macro-economic headlines crossed paths with an ugly technical situation. The S&P 500, Nasdaq and Russell 2000 indices all fell by over 3%, while the Dow Jones shed 2.37%, erasing most of its year-to-date gains. Ongoing uncertainty around trade policy remained a focal point throughout the week. Macro data shows manufacturing growth slowing while services activity is accelerating. The U.S. economy added 151,000 jobs in February, slightly below expectations but ahead of January’s reading of 125,000. In Europe, the STOXX Europe 600 Index ended 0.69% lower, snapping 10 weeks of gains.

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