Rate-change expectations for The Fed in 2026 shifted dovishly back into 'cut' territory today
Source: zerohedge
Iran's attacks on Arab countries
Source: AlMajallaEN
The Gulf "is now home to both the best-performing global bourse over the past month and the worst"
"Dubai’s main stock index is the world’s worst performer so far in March .. Oman’s benchmark surged to the top of global rankings" Source: Ziad Daoud, Bloomberg
No TACO YET
*TRUMP: MUST COMPLETE MISSION IN IRAN *TRUMP: GETTING VERY CLOSE TO FINISHING JOB IN IRAN *TRUMP: WE WILL FINISH THE JOB VERY FAST *TRUMP: WILL HIT IRAN EXTREMELY HARD OVER NEXT 2-3 WEEKS *TRUMP SAYS US WILL HIT IRAN'S ELECTRIC PLANTS IF NO DEAL Everything that was rallying on peace hopes sold off immediately. Asian markets cratering overnight. Japan down 2.4%. South Korea down 4.2%. Oil surging back above $105 after briefly dipping on peace hopes. Source: Jim Bianco, CNBC
A record short bet against oil as TRADERS POUR $977 MILLION INTO LEVERED BET THAT OIL WILL PLUNGE
Just before Trump sent oil prices surging higher... Oil traders made a big leveraged bet that prices would fall from war-driven highs — but many are losing badly. Investors poured $977M into the inverse oil ETF (SCO) in March, its biggest monthly inflow ever. The fund aims to profit when oil drops, but instead plunged 41% as crude surged. The bet hinges on a quick end to conflict. While the fund briefly jumped 8% after signals of de-escalation, oil prices remain elevated — rising as high as $119 and still around $102, well above February levels. Ongoing supply disruptions, especially around the Strait of Hormuz, could keep prices high for months. Even a ceasefire may not be enough for short traders to recover. Bottom line: this is a high-risk “war ends soon” trade — and so far, it’s backfiring. Source: Markets & Mayhem, *Walter Bloomberg @DeItaone
So it was just a textbook squeeze?
The short-term trendline and the 21-day MA sit slightly higher, alongside the former range lows, now acting as resistance. As there is no TACO yet and looking at futures this morning, does not seem we will go through resistance today. Source: TME
In case you missed it... The US job market continues to deteriorate
Job openings fell -358,000 in February to 6.88 million, giving back most of the January jump. The 3-month moving average continues to fall, now at ~6.89 million, now below the 2018-2019 pre-pandemic levels. There are now just 0.9 job openings for every unemployed worker, near the lowest of the current business cycle. By comparison, the ratio peaked at 2.0 in 2022, meaning available jobs per unemployed worker have been cut in half. Total separations have also dropped to a decade low, suggesting employers are neither hiring nor firing, effectively freezing the labor market in place. The job market is quietly weakening beneath the surface. Source: Global Markets Investor, wolfstreet
Chinese government bonds have sidestepped a global debt sell-off since the start of the Iran war, emerging as a haven from soaring energy prices and rising global inflation.
Source: FT
