Bassanese Bites-Breather

May 26, 2024--Global markets-week in review
After four consecutive weekly gains, global equities took a breather last week with the S&P 500 inching ahead only 0.03%. Firm US service sector data and "high for longer" Fed rhetoric saw traders take profits in both the bond and equity markets after recent gains.

Probably the main highlight in a data-light week was the strength in the US services sector PMI. The S&P US service sector index blew past market expectations, rising to 54.4 from 51.1. Also concerning was a lift in input costs. The result ran counter to a run of recent softer reports for employment growth and retail sales. Overall, the US economy remains firm, though whether this necessarily implies inflation will prove stubbornly firm remains to be seen.

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As One Cycle Ends, Another Begins Amid Growing Divergence

January 17, 2025--Growth divergences persist and could widen, while policy shifts may reignite inflation pressures in some countries
We project global growth will remain steady at 3.3 percent this year and next, broadly aligned with potential growth that has substantially weakened since before the pandemic. Inflation is declining, to 4.2 percent this year and 3.5 percent next year, in a return to central bank targets that will allow further normalization of monetary policy.

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WEF-These are the biggest risks we face now and in the next 10 years

January 15, 2025--After a challenging "super election" year in 2024, leaders face uncertainty about what lies ahead in 2025 and into the future.
The World Economic Forum's latest Global Risks Report reveals a significant carryover of 2024's key concerns while highlighting some new and notable shifts in risk perception.
The report sets the agenda for discussions at the Forum's Annual Meeting in Davos, this year convening under the title, Collaboration for the Intelligent Age.

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