Market comments

Laurent DenizeChief Investment Officer ODDO BHF Asset Management & Global Co-CIO ODDO BHF Since US President Donald Trump has been seeking to de-escalate the Iran conflict through a ceasefire that has been extended several times, the financial markets have been in a phase of heightened…

Trump-Xi to meet again César Pérez Ruiz, Chief Investments Officer Pictet Wealth Management US President Donald Trump travels to Beijing for talks with China’s Xi Jinping starting on Thursday, as the world watches to see whether they can reach a common approach on Iran. Last…

OPECxit César Pérez Ruiz, Chief Investments Officer Pictet Wealth Management. The United Arab Emirates (UAE) said it was leaving OPEC after almost 60 years, dealing a big blow to the oil cartel. The move by OPEC’s third-largest producer will likely be negative for the oil…

The 25 bp cut was widely expected. But the ECB surprised markets by saying monetary policy is now “meaningfully less restrictive”, despite revising growth lower and seeing risks tilted to the downside, including the prevailing uncertainty about global trade.  Any boost to Euro Area growth…

Matthieu de Clermont, CIO Insurance & Regulatory Strategies, AllianzGI. The French parliament voted on Wednesday night to oust Prime Minister Michel Barnier over his proposed budget. Barnier’s resignation this morning follows snap parliamentary elections in July, which resulted in a hung parliament with no party…

Seasonality and positioning are still favourable for US equities and argue in favour of a year-end rally. Christopher Dembik, Senior Investment Strategy Adviser, Pictet Asset Management. Seasonality is historically good. The median return on the S&P 500 over the last two months of the year has…