Moving Markets

Defence stocks soared across the globe yesterday after US President Trump called for a bigger military budget. Meanwhile, technology shares stumbled, oil rebounded sharply, and precious metals gained ground. In Asian trading, Fast Retailing impressed with strong earnings, while Rio Tinto slipped on merger talks with Glencore. We also discuss the narrowing US trade deficit, the Fed’s dovish signals, and Switzerland’s muted inflation backdrop. Joining our show today is Tim Gagie, Head of FX/PM PB Geneva, with an update on metals and currencies.

Investors should prepare themselves for 2026 to be a year that rewards those who adapt early to the resets and rebalancing which are shaping the new investment landscape. So, what are the key themes?

In this edition of Moving Markets - The View Beyond, Bernadette Anderko sits down with Christian Gattiker, Head of Research, and Mark Matthews, Head of Research Asia, to discuss Julius Baer's Market Outlook 2026 and why it’s important not to let a single country or theme dominate portfolios. Asian equities, artificial intelligence, defensives, and European cyclical stocks all have a role to play. The co...

Global equity markets closed marginally lower yesterday as they weighed the US administration’s moves on Venezuela and the potential for escalation regarding Greenland. Nevertheless, there were some bright spots: the Nasdaq was boosted by Alphabet, and the Kospi saw gains this morning as Samsung announced impressive Q4 earnings guidance. Defence stocks rose in Europe, but fell in the US, for different reasons. Amidst the surge in precious metals prices, Carsten Menke, Head of Next Generation Research, explains why he believes that silver prices have moved too far, too fast of late, and why investors need to distinguish between fl...

Global equities surged with US, European, and Asian markets reaching new highs, brushing aside geopolitical concerns. Copper and precious metals spiked on supply concerns and strong demand, while bond markets priced in more rate cuts following softer European inflation data. Still, geopolitical risks and upcoming economic data remain in focus, creating the first challenges of the year in Asian trading this morning. On today’s show, Dario Messi, Head of Fixed Income Research, shares what these developments mean for the bond market, and Mathieu Racheter, Head of Equity Strategy, outlines his sector outlook for 2026.

Equity markets have kicked off the first full trading week of the year on a strong note, with major indices in the US and Europe reaching record highs despite persistent concerns over Venezuela and its potential geopolitical ripple effects. Gold and silver continued their breathtaking rally while government bond yields fell a little. Norbert Rücker, Head of Economics and Next Generation Research, shares his insights on the situation in Venezuela and the outlook for oil prices.

Global markets surged in 2025, fuelled by economic growth, AI optimism, and central bank rate cuts, though there were sharp swings in volatility at times. Commodities diverged: oil ended lower while precious metals soared, led by gold’s biggest annual gain in 46 years. 2026 started on a strong footing, driven by semiconductor stocks. Over the weekend, geopolitical tensions spiked with the arrest of Venezuela’s Nicolas Maduro, lifting gold as Brent held near USD 60 amid oil supply concerns. Mensur Pocinci, Head of Technical Analysis Research, expects the USD and related assets to remain in a bear market, while precious metals are like...

Excerpt from Beyond Markets Podcast, originally published on 25.09.2025.

This episode is part of a special two-week series featuring highlights from Julius Baer’s recent Beyond Markets podcasts. Our regular show that starts with daily market news returns on Monday 5th January.

When one thinks of safe-haven currencies, the Swiss franc, Japanese yen, and US dollar typically come to mind. But with capital flows diversifying away from the US dollar, interest in alternative safe havens is increasing. The Singapore dollar, one of Asia’s most stable and best-performing currencies, stands out as one such potential candidate. In t...

Excerpt from Beyond Markets Podcast, originally published on 08.04.2025.

This episode is part of a special two-week series featuring highlights from Julius Baer’s recent Beyond Markets podcasts. Our regular show that starts with daily market news returns on Monday 5th January.

In this episode of Beyond Markets we take a closer look at water. With water scarcity and extreme weather events on the increase, what do listeners need to know about water-related challenges and opportunities from both a societal and investment perspective? We are joined by Carsten Menke and Maeve Timoney from Julius Baer’s Next...

Excerpt from Beyond Markets Podcast, originally published on 13.08.2025.

This episode is part of a special two-week series featuring highlights from Julius Baer’s recent Beyond Markets podcasts. Our regular show that starts with daily market news returns on Monday 5th January.

In this episode of Beyond Markets, Mark Matthews, Head of Research Asia at Julius Baer, speaks with General David H. Petraeus, Partner at KKR and former US Army General, about leadership lessons from his distinguished military career and how they translate to the corporate world. Their conversation explores recent conflicts, including the India–Pakistan skir...

Excerpt from Beyond Markets Podcast, originally published on 24.08.2025.

This episode is part of a special two-week series featuring highlights from Julius Baer’s recent Beyond Markets podcasts. Our regular show that starts with daily market news returns on Monday 5th January.

Investing in private markets has the potential to create long-term value in portfolios. But how can qualified and professional investors navigate the current marketplace? What does the private equity market look like today? Which factors are driving potential opportunities? And where might the risks lie? 

In this episode of the Beyond Markets pod...

Excerpt from Beyond Markets Podcast, originally published on 12.09.2025.

This episode is part of a special two-week series featuring highlights from Julius Baer’s recent Beyond Markets podcasts. Our regular show that starts with daily market news returns on Monday 5th January.

In this episode of Beyond Markets, we take a closer look at agentic AI, which is no longer just a concept. AI agents are actively reshaping how tasks get done, decisions are made, and content is created. These autonomous systems mark a shift from passive AI models to active agents that can reason, act, an...

Excerpt from Beyond Markets Podcast, originally published on 01.10.2025.

This episode is part of a special two-week series featuring highlights from Julius Baer’s recent Beyond Markets podcasts. Our regular show that starts with daily market news returns on Monday 5th January.

Structured products can provide investors with capital protection, enhanced yield, or targeted exposure to specific market scenarios. While they may appear complex to those less familiar with them, this episode of the Beyond Markets podcast aims to demystify these instruments. Helen Freer is joined by two Julius Baer experts, Conrad Bruggisser and Raffaele Perroncello, to...

In trading yesterday, lower inflation led the way, technology earnings brightened the day. A UK cut, the ECB’s soft tone, sent markets climbing, risk well-known. Across the seas, Japan stood tall, rates are the highest since the mid-2006 call. And to close the year with rhythmic cheer, Tim Gagie, Head of FX Advisory Geneva, penned a verse sincere.

Markets showed little festive spirit yesterday with almost all equity markets globally declining as investors continued to rotate out of key artificial intelligence names. The sell-off was triggered by concerns around financing issues of a data centre project in the US. In contrast, energy and financial sectors outperformed, supported by rising oil prices and dovish remarks from a Federal Reserve member ahead of today’s key events: interest rate decisions by the ECB and BoE, as well as the release of US inflation data. On today’s show, Norbert Rücker, Head of Economics & Next Generation Research, provides deeper insig...

Markets digested a mix of headlines yesterday. In the US, the latest jobs report pointed to a resilient but cooling labour market. US equities were mostly subdued, though Tesla stole the spotlight with a record-breaking rally on robotaxi optimism. Oil prices swung sharply, first falling on hopes of a Russia-Ukraine peace deal before rebounding on renewed geopolitical tensions, while gold edged higher as uncertainty lingered. In Europe, defence stocks slipped as peace talks gained traction, and the EU made waves by reversing its planned ban on combustion-engine cars. Asian markets were broadly higher, buoyed by strong export data from...

European equities rallied after industrial production data came in stronger than expected, while Wall Street traded cautiously ahead of a packed schedule of key labour‑market and inflation releases between today and Thursday. The US dollar, oil, gold, and bitcoin all slipped as investors absorbed a noisy flow of macro headlines. On today’s show, Dr. Damien Ng from Next Generation Research joins us to discuss the latest developments in biotech - and why he believes the outlook for the sector is finally brightening after years of underperformance.

The story that started with Oracle in the middle of last week continued with Broadcom on Friday. Despite its earnings and guidance actually breezing past expectations, the company's stock had lost 11% by the end of the day, and this filtered through to other tech names in both the US and Europe. Asia is also lower this morning with China in particular delivering some disappointing growth data. Nevertheless, gold and silver continue to climb and on today’s podcast our Head of Technical Analysis, Mensur Pocinci, weighs in with the technical view on whether the rally can continue. He also ex...

Equities rallied broadly following the Federal Reserve’s post-rate-cut communication, though big tech underperformed amid concerns over valuations and leverage. At the same time, precious and industrial metals regained investor attention as the US dollar weakened and expectations for Chinese stimulus grew. Today, we’re joined by Tim Gagie, Head of FX Advisory in Geneva, who shares his insights on the recent dynamics in currency and metal markets.

The US Federal Reserve cuts rates to 3.5%–3.75% but three dissenting members signal deepening divisions. It surprises with a new bond buying programme to start in the coming days. US small caps moved to an all-time high, US Treasury yields dipped, and the USD fell. Yet, Oracle’s outlook and additional financing needs are unsettling investors. Nasdaq futures and Asian technology stocks are lower. In Japan, strong demand at a 20-year bond auction eases yield pressures. With a record high in silver and gold close to its recent highs, Carsten Menke, Head of Next Generation Research, delivers our outlook on the...

We’ll finally get the last monetary policy decision of the year from the US central bank today and a 25 basis point cut is firmly priced in. Almost more important will be the dot plot, economic projections, and comments from Jerome Powell after the main event. Global equity markets have been relatively muted in the last 24 hours aside from some company specific news that you can catch up on in today’s podcast. Strong earnings growth and an accommodative Fed are a strong backdrop going forwards, as detailed by Mathieu Racheter, Head of Equity Strategy Research, who also provides more...

Financial markets were largely subdued yesterday, as investors awaited tomorrow’s pivotal Fed rate decision. But the corporate world was anything but quiet with Paramount challenging Netflix in the hostile bid for Warner Bros Discovery. Asian markets were mixed, oil prices eased on hopes for progress in Ukraine, and gold dipped ahead of the Fed decision. In tech, President Trump surprised markets by allowing Nvidia to export its H200 chips to China. Joining us today is Damien Ng from Next Generation Research, who shares the latest developments in Alzheimer’s research and provides an update on the extended longevity inve...

Equities ended the week higher with US personal consumption expenditure data signalling easing inflation and bolstering expectations of a Fed rate cut this week. Meanwhile, Netflix’s blockbuster USD 72 billion Warner Bros. Discovery acquisition could shake up the streaming and entertainment landscape if approved. Joining today’s show is Markus Wachter from our Technical Analysis team. He talks about the outlook for the US dollar; gold, silver, and copper, and why he expects a year-end rally for equities.

Data showed low US jobless claims contrasting with continued corporate layoffs, leaving rate cut expectations for next week intact. This helped US small caps to outperform. Onshore China shares are rising following strong demand for the second-largest IPO this year. Global central banks now hold more gold than US Treasuries for the first time in 30 years. Tim Gagie, Head of FX Advisory Geneva, talks about volatile metals this week and what FX trading in a narrow range means for investors.

Markets are now pricing in an 89% chance of a rate cut by the Fed next week after November private payrolls data surprised, revealing 32,000 jobs were cut (instead of the expected 40,000 added). US indices closed marginally higher on the day, with Asian markets following suit. Japan’s 30-year government bond auction saw good demand, but JGB yields remain high as markets anticipate a rate hike. Carsten Menke, Head of Next Generation Research, joins the podcast to talk about silver - its remarkable rally and whether it is justified, and what might happen next.

Equity markets staged a cautious rebound yesterday, with major indices posting modest gains. In Europe, utilities led the advance, lifting the broader market, while in the US, leadership came from big tech and AI-related stocks. Sentiment was buoyed by SoftBank founder Masayoshi Son’s revelation that he was “practically crying” to sell the company’s Nvidia stake, alongside a strong earnings report from MongoDB. However, not all segments participated in the rally – precious metals lagged, and the energy sector saw a notable reversal. Meanwhile, DarioMessi, Head of Fixed Income Research, discusses expectations surrounding the still-pending appointment of a new Fed Chair...

Stocks and bonds declined amid company-specific developments and concerns over bond supply, as investors prepare for a record-level issuance of investment-grade debt in the coming days. Additionally, rising expectations of an imminent interest rate hike in Japan further pressured yields upward. In today’s programme, we welcome Manuel Villegas from Next GenerationResearch, who shares his insights on the future trajectory of artificial intelligence - and addressesthe pressing question: Is AI experiencing a bubble?

November closed with markets focused on hopes of a Fed rate cut, which overshadowed fears of an AI bubble. The S&P 500 made strong gains in a holiday-shortened week, while technology lagged, leaving the Nasdaq down in November for the first time after seven months of gains. European equities ended the month slightly higher, supported by the strong outperformance of Switzerland’s SMI last week. Silver is hitting new highs, while gold is also climbing. In Asia, Chinese PMI data disappointed, while India stood out with 8.2% GDP growth in the third quarter. The head of Japan’s central bank hint...

The US Thanksgiving holiday has given stock markets globally a brief pause following the strong performance earlier in the week. With Asian markets trading mixed this morning, attention shifts to key eurozone inflation data, while US markets resume trading for a shortened session. In today’s programme, we welcome Nicolas Jordan from the CIO Office, who discusses the concerns around potential cracks in the artificial intelligence capital expenditure cycle.

Markets are now pricing in an almost 85% probability of a 25 basis point rate cut by the Fed in December – this boosted tech stocks and others followed suit, prompting a global rally. US markets will be shut today for the Thanksgiving holiday, and the Black Friday shopping bonanza will start tomorrow when the US market will reopen for a shortened trading session. Norbert Rücker, Head of Economic and Next Generation Research, joins the show with a timely update on energy markets and what’s driving them currently. And Tim Gagie, Head of FX Advisory Geneva, rounds off the podcast by hi...

Equity markets continue to rally amid improving investor sentiment and rising expectations of further US interest rate cuts. Meanwhile, oil prices are trading lower, driven by signs of de-escalation efforts in relation to Russia’s war in Ukraine. In today’s programme, we are joined by Nenad Dinic, Equity Strategy Research analyst, who shares his insights on why a stronger Japanese yen is unlikely to hinder the ongoing rise of Japanese equities.

US equities, led by technology, rallied as confidence in artificial intelligence strengthened and rate-cut expectations grew. European defence stocks slipped amid ongoing Ukraine peace talks. Novo Nordisk tumbled, while Bayer surged on positive trial results. In Asia, Taiwan tensions kept trading cautious. Manuel Villegas of Next Generation Research discusses the outlook for digital assets after last week’s sharp price drop.

Last week brought significant market shifts — from concerns about bursting investment bubbles to potential peace talks in Ukraine, and a major milestone for Eli Lilly. The S&P 500 posted its second decline in three weeks, while the Nasdaq recorded a third consecutive weekly drop. However, on Friday, US markets stabilised after dovish remarks from a prominent Federal Reserve official, with most stocks closing higher. Mensur Pocinci, Head of Technical Analysis, explains why this is a positive signal and why last Thursday’s sharp intraday reversal, though counterintuitive, is technically a bullish indicator.

Stock markets swung sharply as NVIDIA’s post-earnings rally reversed into losses, triggering a sell-off on Wall Street. Robust US employment data and hawkish signals from US Federal Reserve officials dampened hopes of interest rate cuts, while defensive sectors held firm and oil prices slipped amid Ukraine peace talks. Japan unveiled a new stimulus package—the largest since the Covid crisis. Tim Gagie, Head of FX Advisory in Geneva, discusses how investors are navigating tough choices amid persistent volatility in precious metals, mixed economic indicators, and shifting currency flows, including notable Swiss franc selling this week.

NVIDIA CEO Jensen Huang shrugged off concerns about an AI bubble on Wednesday, as the company surprised Wall Street with accelerating growth after several quarters of slowing sales growth. Technology-heavy indices in Asia are trading significantly higher this morning. Defence companies came under selling pressure after news of a potential US peace plan for Ukraine. Oil also fell on the news. Norbert Rücker, Head of Economics and Next Generation Research, shares his latest view on the black gold and dives deeper into the topic of data centres and related energy demand.

Investors grew increasingly cautious ahead of today’s highly anticipated NVIDIA earnings release, scheduled after market close in New York. The uncertainty weighed on equities, pushing stock indices lower and widening credit yield spreads. Notably, the equal-weighted S&P 500 held up relatively well, indicating that the downturn was not broad-based. Joining us today is Dario Messi, who shares his insights on navigating fixed income markets amid the current macroeconomic backdrop.

Equity markets saw another sharp decline yesterday as investors awaited Wednesday’s earnings report from artificial intelligence leader Nvidia and a closely watched US jobs report later this week. Sentiment was already fragile, and news that a prominent hedge fund had sold its Nvidia stake added further pressure. Our Chief Economist, David Kohl, shares his outlook on the upcoming wave of US economic data following the end of the government shutdown and explains what these developments could mean for the Federal Reserve’s monetary policy trajectory.

After a rollercoaster session US equities rebounded by Friday’s close, with technology even ending the day in positive territory. Europe had earlier closed lower, mirroring Thursday’s US tech selloff. Overnight, Korean technology stocks drove the Kospi higher but China and Japan’s geopolitical tensions over Taiwan weighed on the broader market. Japan’s travel and tourism sectors took a hit today after China warned its citizens not to travel there. When it comes to the week ahead, watch out for the Fed minutes, a raft of US data being unleashed after the shutdown, and Nvidia’s all-important results on...

Markets turned risk-off after early optimism. European stocks reversed gains, with the STOXX 600 down 0.6%. In the US, hawkish Federal Reserve comments erased the relief rally: the Nasdaq dropped 2.3%, Bitcoin fell back below USD 100,000, and gold eased slightly. Odds of a December rate cut slipped to 50% following remarks by several Fed members, lifting US Treasury yields. US president Trump plans tariff cuts on food imports to tackle inflation. Brent crude rebounded from midweek losses. The dollar softened, the Swiss franc strengthened, the yen hit a record low against the euro, and sterling remains volatile. Weak Chinese data weighed on Asian...

We need to exclude tech stocks though. Whilst the S&P 500 rose, and the Dow Jones closed above 48,000 for the first time ever, the Nasdaq Composite closed lower yesterday, with investors further rotating out of technology and into industrials, financials and healthcare stocks. News of the end of the US government’s longest ever shutdown also provided a muted boost to Asia’s stock markets.European stocks closed broadly higher, continuing their upward trend this week. Even gold saw a relief rally. Carsten Menke, Head of Next Generation Research joins the podcast today to try to make sense of just...

European equities hit fresh highs, led by Swiss stocks on tariff hopes. In the US, the Dow Jones Industrial Average finished Tuesday’s session also at record levels while the Nasdaq Composite faced pressure after SoftBank exited its Nvidia stake and investors moved money away from technology stocks into other parts of the market. Joining the show today are Dario Messi, Head of Fixed Income Research, who discusses the potential end of the US shutdown from a bond perspective, and Mathieu Racheter, Head of Equity Strategy Research, who shares his view on the final inning of the Q3 earnings se...