BIL INVESTMENT INSIGHTS

After a volatile week in which stronger-than-expected PMI data fuelled concerns over persistent inflation and higher interest rates, US equities still managed to finish in positive territory. Markets were buoyed by the launch of a new consumer-focused AI agent designed to act as a personal...

  Equities came under pressure at the beginning of last week after leading voices in the AI industry called for a slower pace of technological development. Sentiment improved mid-week, with both stocks and bonds rebounding after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by 25 basis...

The oil market was front and centre again last week, after Brent crude crossed the psychological $100 per barrel threshold. The war in the Middle East has persisted for seven months by now, and previous buffers against a supply shock are beginning to wear thin....

  At the onset of last week, the sell-off in global bonds intensified. UK borrowing costs hit their highest level since 2008, while Japan's rose to levels unseen since the 1990s. The US 10-year Treasury yield flirted with 4.8%. The rise in yields reflects several...

Strong earnings from a leading AI company lifted tech firms, and helped both the Nasdaq and the S&P 500 close the week higher, but smaller-cap stocks underperformed. European equities were broadly unchanged overall. Within the region, Germany's DAX gained more than 1.6%, while French equities...