Geopolitical Events - Page 2 of 5

OPEC and allies reach a compromise

The oil industry has remained pressurized by a supply glut and the ongoing uncertainty on the demand outlook with respect to the structural changes in the energy market and the pandemic. The recent vaccine updates and hopes that the pandemic may soon be under control, is providing support to a fundamentally battered energy market. As the year com...

December 4, 2020

US Elections: COVID-19, Policies and Markets

The Political Event of the Year 2020 The most-waited political event of the year is fast approaching: the US elections will take place on the 3rd of November. The nominees of the two main political parties - Republican and Democratic party are yet to be announced at the Presidential Nominating Convention. However, the clear frontrunners are Presid...

August 14, 2020

Forex This Week: What to Expect

In the month of May, major currencies were stronger against the US dollar as risk sentiment improved and haven currencies like the US dollar, the Yen and Swiss franc have lost momentum. Commodity-linked currencies were among the best performers against the US dollar; lifted by higher commodity prices. Source: Bloomberg The US Dolla...

June 1, 2020

EURUSD: EU Recovery Plan and EU’s Frugal Four

EU Recovery Fund After a standoff between the EU and Germany, following a critical ruling on ECB’s quantitative easing program by Germany’s constitutional court, the gradual reopening of economies of member states within the Eurozone has brought some optimism. The downside risks for the Eurozone and its shared currency have somewhat eased ...

May 26, 2020

First Quarter: Crisis, Volatility, and Opportunities

The first quarter of 2020 was marred by unpredicted events that rattled the financial markets: Tensions between US and Iran; The extreme weather conditions across the globe as a result of climate change; The novel coronavirus; and An oil price war between Saudi Arabia, the oil kingdom, and Russia. A Trio of Crises Faced by a...

March 31, 2020

The Perfect Storm Brewing in the Oil Market

The Perfect Storm Brewing in the Oil Market The oil and gas industry has been undergoing significant challenges due to the structural shift within the industry. A pandemic-induced economic downturn and an oil price war have now added another layer of uncertainty to the oil markets. Tensions between Saudi Arabia and Russia have disrupted the s...

March 27, 2020

2019 in a Nutshell and the Transition to a New Decade

If we could describe the year 2019 in one word, we believe uncertainty says it all. The world entered 2019 with a high level of ambiguity and is poised to finish the year with the same extent of uncertainties. The Global Economic Policy Uncertainty Index which is a GDP-weighted average of national EPU indices for 20 countries has remained in ele...

December 20, 2019

The Loonie – Best Performing G10 Currencies

The Loonie Best Performing G10 Currencies After a tight campaign marred by scandals, Justin Trudeau secured another term as Prime Minister. Unlike a clear win in 2015, the Prime Minister did not pass the threshold of 170 seats and will lead a minority government. The governing party will be forced to depend on other parties to pass legislation....

October 24, 2019

Critical Hours for Brexit

Critical Hours for Brexit As the clock ticks for Brexit, Brussels and London seem to be working harder than before on their differences for a last-minute Brexit deal. The headlines in the past 48 hours have renewed optimism that the UK and European Union may secure a deal. However, even though the negotiations appear to be moving in the right di...

October 16, 2019

One Country, Two Systems

One Country, Two Systems The Hong Kong protests have reached a point where it is threatening the “one country, two systems” that exists between the special international financial hub and the mainland. It started with demonstrations against the extradition bill which later turned into a movement against the Hong Kong’s government. Millions...

September 5, 2019

August – A Challenging Month for Markets

August – A Challenging Month for Markets A wave of volatility swamped the markets in August. Recession fears, yield curve inversion, and the big breach of the Yuan were the dominant headlines that alarmed investors throughout the month. Bearing the brunt of the tit-for-tat tariff hikes, the stock market saw multiple days of 1% swings with a cou...

August 29, 2019

The European Union Top Jobs

The European Union Top Jobs The European Central Bank (“ECB”) President The European leaders nominated Christine Lagarde, a French lawyer and a politician serving as Managing Director and Chairwoman of the International Monetary Fund ("IMF") as the ECB President. The ECB is responsible for the monetary policy of the nineteen EU member countr...

July 4, 2019

The G20 Summit: President Trump-Xi Meeting

The G20 Summit The G20 Summit is an international forum for the governments and central bank governors from 19 countries and the European Union to discuss global economic challenges. Non-member countries can also be invited to attend the summit. The Group of Twenty nations attending the summit represents more than 80% of the global GDP, which is...

June 27, 2019

US Jobs Report

The Buraeu of Labor Statistics have released the latest jobs report for April. Let’s take a look at the latest numbers. The total non-farm payroll employment increased by 263,000 the U.S. Bureau of Labor Statistics reported today, beating the forecast of 190,000. Biggest job gains were in professional and business services, construction, healt...

May 3, 2019

From Singapore to Hanoi – Summit 2.0

President Trump is on the “Tweet Rally” with positive headlines on the trade front and much confidence ahead of the Summit in Hanoi, Vietnam. Singapore Summit The Singapore Summit marked the first-ever meeting between the Head of State of North Korea and the United States. Both leaders signed a joint statement during the Summit and agr...

February 26, 2019