Fast food for thought
Insights and research on global events shaping the markets
US equities extended their rally to a sixth consecutive weekly gain, the longest streak since 2024. The S&P 500 advanced 2.3% on the week, while the Nasdaq surged 4.5%, both setting fresh record highs. The Dow lagged at +0.2%. AI infrastructure remained the dominant engine — AMD jumped roughly 20% on the week and the Philadelphia Semiconductor Index added more than 10%, bringing its 2026 gain to 65%. April nonfarm payrolls printed at 115,000 vs. 65,000 expected, with unemployment steady at 4.3%, reinforcing the soft-landing narrative but strengthening hawkish FOMC voices as markets now flirt with bets of a Fed hike later this year.
Meanwhile, nearly half of Google’s quarterly profit driven by mark-to-market gains on private AI investments. Each week, the Syz investment team takes you through the last seven days in seven charts.
The S&P 500 closed at a fresh all-time high on Friday, rising for a 5th consecutive week, its longest weekly winning streak since 2024. This brings the index up +15% since the March 30 low, also marking April as the best month for stocks since November 2022. Stocks largely shrugged off the stream of sometimes conflicting headlines about the war in the Middle East and a surprisingly hawkish Federal Reserve policy meeting to post solid gains in most major indexes. Large-cap stocks outpaced small-caps, and value outperformed growth. Five of the “Mag 7” companies reported earnings, with financial results generally meeting or exceeding expectations for these bellwether firms. Meanwhile, major central banks keep rates on hold amid war uncertainty.
OpenAI is reportedly building an AI-first smartphone to challenge Apple's mobile dominance.
The UAE's exit from OPEC is one of those events whose true significance only becomes clear over time.
Global oil inventories plumet while trillionaire AI companies soar. Each week, the Syz investment team takes you through the last seven days in seven charts.
Most major U.S. stock indexes finished the week higher, with several hitting record highs. Positive economic data, ongoing strength in AI-linked stocks, and upbeat earnings results helped offset continued uncertainty surrounding the U.S.-Iran conflict. The technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite led gains, followed by the S&P 500 and Russell 2000 Indexes. The Dow Jones Industrial Average declined. With nearly 20% of the S&P 500 companies reporting during the week, 84% of S&P 500 companies that had reported through Friday beat estimates, with a blended yoy earnings growth rate of 15.1%—on pace for a sixth consecutive quarter of double-digit growth.
Kevin Warsh's Senate Banking Committee confirmation hearing yesterday (21 April 2026) was the big event—he's President Trump's nominee to replace Jerome Powell as Fed Chair. It was a fiery, high-stakes session focused on independence, inflation, his personal finances, and his vision for overhauling how the Fed operates.
US market rally surprises hedge funds as jet fuel constraints build across Europe and Asia. Each week, the Syz investment team takes you through the last seven days in seven charts.
U.S. stocks posted strong gains for the third straight week, with several major indexes notching new all-time-highs amid signs of de-escalating conflict in the Middle East, upbeat earnings results, and a series of generally positive economic data releases. The Nasdaq Composite led indexes higher, gaining 6.84%, followed by the Russell 2000 and S&P 500 Indexes. Large-cap growth stocks outperformed their value counterparts for the third consecutive week, supported in part by ongoing enthusiasm around artificial intelligence-linked stocks. Positive sentiment was supported by the ongoing U.S.-Iran ceasefire as well as optimism around continuing negotiations between the two countries.
Investing with intelligence
Our latest research, commentary and market outlooks

