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US trade fell, but markets shrugged off the decline, with the Nasdaq 100 bouncing back to pre-Liberation Day levels. Each week, the Syz investment team takes you through the last seven days in seven charts.
U.S. stocks finished the week higher, with the S&P 500 Index logging its 2nd consecutive week of gains for the 1st time since January and closing Friday with its 9th straight session in positive territory - its longest win streak since Nov 2004. It has erased all of the post-Liberation-Day losses. The string of news coming out this week was unequivocally positive, supporting the market recovery that we have seen since the bottom on Apr-9. The White House continued to unilaterally pull back on its tariff policies, introducing a partial exemption for US Auto makers that use imported auto parts. On the macro side, April Payrolls report (published on Friday) revealed a resilient labor market with non-farm payrolls rising 177k alongside an unchanged unemployment rate of 4.2%.
Falling volatility has supported a rebound in global fixed income markets, yet persistent macro uncertainty—centered on trade tensions, political interference, and diverging policy paths—continues to cloud the outlook.
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.
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