Weekly investment insights

Weekly investment update

What's been happening in markets?

  • Equities: Stocks advanced across the board last week. The FTSE 100 gained +2.1% whilst Europe gained +3.5% and the US +3.1%. Gains were also seen in Emerging Markets of +5.7%. Broad positive sentiment was driven following hopes of War ending soon following peace talks scheduled for the weekend; these did not produce the results the market had hoped for.
  • Bonds: UK government bonds rallied +0.6%; 10yr UK yield is currently 4.81%. US bond prices rose +0.5% following hopes of the War ending soon; 10yr US yield is currently 4.29%. Global bonds rose +0.2%.
  • Diversifiers: Gold rallied +1.6%, the second weekly rise following a month of losses. Bitcoin gained +2.0% to rise to $70,702 as risk on sentiment flowed into the alternative asset space. Brent oil dropped -6.0% as weekend peace talks could lead to deescalation of the War.

Key market drivers

  • UK Property: Average UK house price drops by -0.5% in March; largest mortgage offer withdrawals since Liz Truss budget; average 2yr rate has increased by over 1% since start of War.
  • US Inflation: 3.3% in March, up from 2.4% in February. Gasoline rose by a record 21.2% in March following the Iran War and blockage of the Strait of Hormuz.
  • Iran War: US begin blockade of Iranian ports; oil rises above $100/bbl – UK ‘not supporting’ says PM. Weekend peace talks between US and Iran end without a deal.

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 13th April
  • N/A
Tuesday:
  • UK: Retail Sales (March)
  • China: Growth (Q1)
Wednesday:
  • Europe: Industrial Production (March)
Thursday:
  • UK: Growth (February)
  • US: Industrial Production (March)
Friday:
  • N/A

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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