Weekly investment insights

Weekly investment update

What's been happening in markets?

  • Equities: Equities advanced last week. The FTSE 100 gained +4.7% whilst Europe gained +4.3% and the US +3.7%. Gains were also seen in Emerging Markets of +0.9%. Broad positive sentiment was driven following hopes of War ending soon following Trump saying that the US may leave Iran without a deal.
  • Bonds: UK government bonds rallied +1.7%; two interest rate hikes are now priced in, which has come down from 4; 10yr UK yield is currently 4.85%. US bond prices rose +0.4% following hopes of the War ending soon; 10yr US yield is currently 4.35%. Global bonds rose +0.6%.
  • Diversifiers: Gold rallied +4.3% following a month of losses. Bitcoin gained +0.8% to rise to $68,959 as risk on sentiment flowed into the alternative asset space. Brent oil dropped -3.1% as more traffic begins to pass through the Strait of Hormuz.

Key market drivers

  • Iran War: Ahead of the expiry of US President Trump’s ultimatum in the night to Wednesday, he has once again increased his threats. He warned Iran that he would disable all bridges and energy facilities in the country within four hours if Iran failed to reopen the Strait of Hormuz. Meanwhile, Iran has rejected a proposal from Pakistan that envisaged a ceasefire followed by a longer-term agreement.
  • US Services: Growth slowed in the US Services Sector in March and missed economists’ expectations, although is still slightly above the threshold for growth.
  • European Inflation: European inflation rises to 2.5% in March, up from 1.9% pre-War in February; fuelled by soaring energy prices from the Iran War.

Chart of the week

The Iran war has stock markets on tenterhooks

In this week’s ‘Chart of the Week’ we examine how stock markets have performed during previous conflicts in the Middle East involving the US.

The chart shows the performance of the MSCI World Index over the first 100 days following the start of the war, specifically for
– Operation Desert Storm to liberate Kuwait in 1991
– The Afghanistan War in 2001
– The Iraq War in 2003

The stock markets mostly reacted negatively only in the short term or in the run-up to these conflicts. In all three cases, the global equity index was well into positive territory 100 days after the start of the war. In 1991, the dollar also strengthened significantly, which boosted returns in Pounds somewhat.

Reactions remain limited for now. Measured in pounds, there was a decline of just 3 per cent. Prices have stabilised in recent days.

Upcoming events

Monday 6th April
  • UK & Europe: Markets shut for Easter Monday
Tuesday:
  • N/A
Wednesday:
  • Europe: Retail Sales (March)
Thursday:
  • N/A
Friday:
  • US: Inflation (March)
  • China: Inflation (March)

This content is for general information purposes only and does not constitute financial advice or a personal recommendation. Past performance is not a reliable indicator of future results. Investments can rise or fall in value, and you may receive less than you originally invested.

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