H1 2026

The 2025 season is coming to an end. This year has been anything but quiet: Trump's historic return to the presidency, the April "Liberation Day" tariff shock, major AI breakthroughs, bitcoin's volatile journey, and a stunning market rebound. Here are ten stories to remember.

When Michael Burry bets against the crowd, markets pay attention. The man who called the subprime mortgage crisis and made over $800 million while the financial system collapsed is now warning that artificial intelligence stocks are the next bubble ready to burst. And he is making this call just as he steps away from the spotlight: on November 10, his hedge fund’s registration was terminated, per SEC records, ending his requirement to file regulatory disclosures.

After six decades as the moral compass of the business world, Warren Buffett has written his goodbye. His farewell letter is about luck, humility, and his life in general rather than financial advice or forecasts. It reads less like a corporate announcement and more like a final lesson from a teacher who has spent a lifetime studying both business and human nature.

The CFA Institute trains thousands of financial analysts annually. Yet, its own portfolio follows one of the simplest playbooks: a passive global 60/40 model that hasn’t changed in more than a decade.

A new wave of platforms lets traders bet on real-world events, from policy decisions to pop culture. What began as speculation is now challenging how finance measures truth and probability.

Everyone makes plans: for travel, fitness or the year ahead. China does it too. Last week, China’s top leaders met in a four-day conclave in Beijing to decide on the country's goals and aspirations for the next five years.

A publication by US President Donald Trump on social media led to the largest 24-hour wipeout in crypto history. The most curious part about the event was the discovery that someone realised a nine-figure profit by shorting the crypto market right before the news.

The third quarter of 2025 saw most asset classes make gains pushed by easing trade tensions, AI euphoria, and the first but most likely not last rate cut of the year by the Federal Reserve. Equities delivered a strong performance with Asian markets in the lead. On the credit side Emerging Market debt was the strongest performer and France’s political turmoil continued to weigh on Europe. On the macro side, the focus is now on the cooling US labour market as payroll figures were revised downwards, and job creation declined.

The broad trade-weighted dollar is down roughly 7% this year, and the forces driving that decline show no signs of reversing. But depreciation should not be mistaken to the end of its dominance.