Everything you need to know, Simplified! Higher yields, stronger earnings and a broadening AI opportunity Summary Bond markets remained under pressure as heavy government borrowing, sticky inflation risks and the scale of AI-related capital spending pushed long-dated yields higher US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent announced that buybacks of 10- to 30-year Treasuries would rise from a maximum of US$2bn to US$4bn or more per operation from September, but the move was viewed m

Everything you need to know, Simplified! Strong earnings results lift equity markets, but retail sales raise a cautious note Summary The second quarter earnings season has been very strong, especially in the US, pushing equity markets to new highs Upside surprises have come from the technology sector, but also energy and increasingly industrials as economic growth continues to broaden out Inflation data from the US showed a continued moderation, which is helpful for equity ma

Everything you need to know, Simplified! Why are so many UK companies being bought out? Summary UK mid and small caps outperformed as strong earnings, improving economic data and record takeover activity highlighted the valuation opportunity in UK equities Foreign buyers continue to target UK assets, with more than US$60bn of mergers and acquisitions (M&A) announced this year as overseas acquirers take advantage of depressed valuations Global growth remains resilient, led by

Everything you need to know, Simplified! AI optimism meets investor scrutiny Summary Semiconductor stocks continue to drive market weakness despite broader market resilience, with over 60% of US companies delivering positive returns since the end of May US earnings remain exceptionally strong and broadly based, but investors are increasingly focused on the economics and sustainability of the Artificial Intelligence (AI) expansion Growing Chinese competition is raising questio