Energies

14 Apr 2026

Energy markets have pushed the ECB back into focus, with traders increasingly leaning towards a higher-for-longer rate outlook as inflation risks begin to resurface. The recent rebound in oil prices, with crude moving back above the $100 mark, has prompted a noticeable shift in expectations, with markets now less confident that rate cuts will arrive as quickly as previously thought.

14 Apr 2026

Financial markets are not only driven by economic data. They are also constantly pricing uncertainty. This is where the idea of the global risk premium comes in. In simple terms, it is the extra return investors expect for taking on risk in an uncertain world. When uncertainty rises, that required return increases, and the impact is often felt across equities, bonds, currencies and commodities at the same time.

12 Apr 2026

Markets entered the week trading largely on the geopolitical narrative surrounding the Middle East, with investors focused on whether tensions between the US and Iran would evolve into a prolonged disruption of global energy flows. Oil prices had surged in the previous week as markets priced a higher probability of supply interruptions through the Strait of Hormuz, raising concerns that a renewed energy shock could reinforce inflation pressures just as central banks were attempting to stabilise financial conditions.

03 Apr 2026

In Q1 markets shifted noticeably as investors grappled with rising energy prices, sector rotation, and growing uncertainty around the pace of global monetary easing. The optimism that characterised the final months of 2025 faded as commodity markets surged and equity leadership changed direction. Energy stocks became the dominant outperformer across global markets, while technology and consumer sectors lost momentum. At the same time, bond markets experienced renewed volatility as investors reassessed inflation risks and the timing of interest rate cuts.

26 Mar 2026

Financial markets respond quickly to new information, and the economic calendar is one of the main sources of that information. Data releases such as inflation, employment, and business activity help investors understand how the economy is performing and what central banks might do next.