Strengthening Case for Tighter Monetary Policies June 2, 2026 This has been another day without the cause of peace being enhanced. Traffic through the Strait of Hormuz remains mostly non-existent. Russia has escalated military bombardments of Ukraine. It remains unclear whether Israel will heed calls for it to deescalate its war in Lebanon. There has…
June Brings a Different Tune in Expectations about When Hormuz Will Reopen June 1, 2026 (137) Given last week’s optimistic mood regarding negotiations for a lasting ceasefire and reopening of the Strait of Hormuz, todays dour mood has seemingly descended on the financial community without warning. On closer inspection, the shifting prospects for a “deal”…
May 2026 in Figures May 29, 2026 For many weeks now, Trump administration officials have been saying that a peace deal may be just around the corner, but the conditions for such have so far proven elusive. That hasn’t mattered. Repeat something long enough and people will come to believe it, and so financial markets…
Waiting for the War to End May 29, 2026 The verbal message that a peace deal in the Middle East, which began very soon after the conflict’s outbreak, may be getting stale but nonetheless continues to temper the reaction of financial markets. The Strait of Hormuz remains largely shut. Fighting in Lebanon continues. The U.S….
Mixed Middle Eastern News But Investors Seeing the Cup Half Full May 28, 2026 From a military standpoint, it doesn’t look like long-term peace in the Middle East is close at hand. The U.S. and Iran traded military strikes already this week, and the ceasefire between Israel and Lebanon is being repeatedly violated as well….
Big Overnight Drop in the Price of Oil May 27, 2026 The news regarding U.S.-Iranian negotiations remains confusingly mixed, but the market’s attention has honed in on an optimistic comment on Iranian state news predicting a return to pre-war shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz within a month. In response, the price of WTI…
Balancing Strong Corporate Earnings Against Continuing Frustration Over Failure to Reopen the Strait of Hormuz May 22, 2026 This week at least the lack of cheery news on the U.S./Iranian negotiating front was outweighed by proof of continuing heavy investment in AI and overall strong profitability in the tech industries. U.S. equities rose further today….
Thursday Highlights May 21, 2026 Whereas it was President Trump’s questionable decision to launch a military attack on Iran with the intent of never allowing the current regime there to possess nuclear weapons lit the fire of global inflation and the second major supply shock of this decade, purchasing manager surveys reported today suggest that…
Watching Iran, Central Banks and Inflation Data While Also Anticipating Nvidia’s 1Q Earnings Report May 20, 2026 As has become increasingly common, same-day movement in Asian equity markets has been opposite in direction from the trends in Europe and North America. On this Wednesday, Pac Rim share prices closed lower, including losses of 1.7% in…
Dollar Strengthens Amid Bad Vibes from Ceasefire Talks and Tense U.S. Politics May 19, 2026 In there deepening impasse, the U.S. and Iranian negotiators have seemingly moved further away from any willingness to compromise their demands. Trump claims to have postponed a planned obliteration of Iran to give peace one last chance, but Iranian negotiators…