Slow food for thought

Insights and research on global events shaping the markets

The final countdown has begun with only two weeks left until the 2024 U.S. presidential election, and people are all in on the betting markets.

In its documentary aired on 8 October 2024, HBO claims to have uncovered the true identity of Satoshi Nakamoto, the founder of the world’s largest cryptocurrency, Bitcoin.

With the American presidential elections just a few weeks away, we take a closer look at the economic and social program of the Republican candidate for the White House.

Despite challenges from a strong currency, Switzerland's economy remains strong, with significant industrial growth driven by specialised sectors. This resilience contrasts with stagnation seen in many neighboring countries.

With the US presidential elections just a few weeks away, we take a look at the economic and social program of the democratic candidate for the White House.

In recent years, the rise of stablecoins has strongly transformed the landscape of digital finance, with over $170 billion of these digital assets now held globally, according to CoinGecko.

China has surpassed the U.S. as the global leader in critical technologies, marking a significant shift in the technological landscape with major implications for innovation, security, and the global economy.

Argentina's economy has fluctuated between prosperity and crisis, with recent austerity under President Milei reducing inflation but worsening poverty and increasing reliance on foreign investment, leaving the country vulnerable.

We expect the Fed rate cut cycle to start soon and proceed gradually. Barring a financial crisis or a sharp and unexpected change in the path of inflation or unemployment, the upcoming rate-cutting cycle won’t be dramatic; we expect the Fed to make incremental, 25 bps cuts to its policy rate. Moreover, the Fed is going to stay highly data dependent and will calibrate accordingly. Overall, this is a rather positive scenario for risk assets. Still, equity market valuations are becoming rich, especially in developed markets. Consequently, we keep our neutral stance on equities. We are upgrading all currencies (EUR, CHF, CHF, JPY, EM currencies) back to neutral vs USD (from Negative). Technicals have turned against the US dollar and the Fed has sent a clear signal about coming rate cuts.

Eastern Europe's post-communist lag has shifted to rapid growth, showcasing the impact of EU integration.

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