Soon, Europe is about to subsidise energy again. Sounds supportive. But the reality is far more paradoxical
Governments will step in as energy prices surge. But here’s the uncomfortable truth: 👉 Many of these same governments helped create the crisis 👉 By weakening their own energy security 💸 Now comes the real problem: Most European countries are already running structural deficits. They don’t have the fiscal room to absorb another shock. So what happens next? ➡️ Subsidies go up ➡️ Deficits widen ➡️ Policymakers panic And then the “solution” kicks in: 👉 Higher taxes 🧠 Think about the loop: • Governments subsidise households • Then raise taxes to fund it ➡️ Households end up paying for their own “relief” (with a bit of redistribution in between) 🔁 And this doesn’t stop here. The same cycle is playing out across: • Healthcare costs • Welfare expansion • Defence spending ⏳ Until the next crisis hits. And when it does, you’ll hear the same line again: “We must stabilise the economy.” 💥 Which really means: • Deficits explode • Debt issuance surges • Central banks step in 👉 Printing money 👉 Buying bonds 👉 Repeating the cycle 📌 Once you see the system, you can’t unsee it: It’s a loop of: Crisis → Spending → Debt → Money printing → Repeat ⚠️ Now here’s the part most people ignore: If your wealth is tied to assets that: • Don’t generate real returns • Can’t be moved easily • Are fully exposed to domestic policy 👉 You are far more vulnerable than you think (Yes, that includes a lot of real estate) 🧠 The uncomfortable conclusion: This isn’t about one crisis. It’s about a system. And if your portfolio isn’t positioned for it… 👉 It’s probably mispriced for reality Source: Financial Times
Will this time be different?
Yet despite the growing tension, the price action is still closely following the typical historical pattern seen in US equities during geopolitical shocks. So far, this looks like a standard shock, not a regime break, and we may now be nearing the point where markets tend to bottom. To hold or not to hold... Source: DB
Despite the rally, energy stocks remain under-owned and not expensive vs. history.
Source: BofA, RBC
Finally some TACO ?
Source: Bloomberg
Trump’s Truth Social Post Shifts Gulf Energy Dynamics
Without press conferences, Trump’s Truth Social post redrew Gulf security: blamed Israel, cleared Qatar, condemned Iran, warned Israel, and threatened Iran’s South Pars gas field. The world’s largest shared gas field vital for Qatar (~80% revenue) and Iran faces risk. The post acts as a tripwire: any Iranian strike on Qatar triggers immediate escalation, signaling deterrence, power, and energy warfare amid global market and supply chain tensions. Source: Shanaka Anslem Perera, Truth Social
Gold is printing one of its largest down candles since the early-February
puke and breaking below the 50-day moving average, a level it hasn’t closed beneath since last summer. Key support comes in at $4800, with the 200-day moving average near $4600. Source: TME
The euro has sold off aggressively in the wake of the Iran war.
We briefly bounced at the range lows, but the move has been weak and lacks follow-through. Now sitting well below the 200-day moving average, with the 21-day crossing lower, a bearish shift in trend dynamics. Last time this setup played out, the euro didn’t stabilize, it continued the move lower. Source: The Market Ear, LSEG
Dr Copper ?
Source: Bloomberg
