This is Wall Street Week. I'm David Westin, bringing you stories of capitalism. Gold is all over the place, from setting new records to plummeting, to a partial recovery. What does it mean for investors and for those getting the gold out of the ground? Plus, the US had its China shock 20 years ago. Is Europe in store for its own version this time as China looks to find new markets for its exports? And investing in art can be fun. It can be satisfying. But like any investment, it can go down as well as up. W ...

Group 1 - The Bank of Thailand is expected to maintain interest rates in the upcoming monetary policy meeting to assess the impact of the elections on the economy and markets, with consumer price index declining for 10 consecutive months, creating room for potential rate cuts later in the year [1] - Morgan Stanley has raised Indonesia's GDP growth forecast for 2026 from 4.9% to 5.2% following better-than-expected Q4 2025 GDP, but warns that growth momentum may slow due to fiscal contraction and the end of automotive incentives [1] - The Indian central bank's monetary easing cycle may have ended, with a low likelihood of resuming rate cuts in the short term, as economic growth is stabilizing and inflation expectations have been raised [3] Group 2 - Kenanga economists suggest that the Malaysian ringgit is likely to depreciate due to strong domestic economic data and a supportive dollar, with the Federal Reserve expected to delay rate cuts until June [2] - Moody's potential downgrade of Indonesia's credit outlook to negative signals rising policy uncertainty, which could lead to increased scrutiny of the government's credibility and policy choices over the next 12 to 18 months [2] - The European Central Bank's President Lagarde has ruled out the possibility of rate cuts due to a stronger euro, providing support for the euro as the ECB maintains interest rates unchanged [3]

Core Viewpoint - The interim management statement for Hargreave Hale AIM VCT PLC highlights contrasting economic conditions in the US and UK, with the US showing strong growth while the UK faces challenges including weak economic growth and rising unemployment [3][5]. Economic Overview - The US economy reported a robust growth rate of 4.3% in Q3 2025, despite political pressures [3]. - The UK is projected to have a growth rate of 1.5% for 2025 and 1.4% for 2026, with an unemployment rate rising to 5.1% [5]. - Consumer sentiment in the UK has improved post-Autumn Budget, although business confidence remains fragile [4]. Inflation and Monetary Policy - UK inflation, as measured by CPI, increased by 3.4% year-on-year as of December 2025, down from 3.8% in September 2025 [6]. - The Bank of England reduced interest rates to 3.75% during the quarter, with expectations for further cuts in 2026 [6]. Investment Performance - The unaudited NAV per share decreased by 1.25 pence to 35.21 pence, resulting in a total return of -3.43% for shareholders [9]. - The AIM index returned -0.97% in the three months to December 31, 2025, reflecting a challenging market environment [8]. Qualifying Investments - Hardide saw a significant increase of 157.1% in value, returning to profitability and reporting a 40% year-on-year revenue increase [10]. - Skillcast and Tortilla Mexican Grill also reported positive performance, with increases of 11.7% and 34.3% respectively [11]. - Negative contributors included Cohort, which declined by 36.7% despite solid revenue growth, and Diaceutics, which fell by 23.3% without specific news [12][13]. Portfolio Structure - The company maintained a strong investment position, ending the period with 84.11% invested according to HMRC VCT investment tests [16]. - The weighting to qualifying investments increased from 54.0% to 54.9% by market value [16]. Share Buybacks and Market Activity - The company repurchased 2.6 million shares at an average price of 34.14 pence, with the share price trading at a discount of 4.30% to the last published NAV [21]. - Post-period, the NAV per share increased to 36.33 pence, reflecting a 3.18% rise, while AIM increased by 6.54% [22].

The Bank of England is now rather more worried about weakening UK growth than about inflation. Political risk and a leadership merry-go-round might play havoc in the longer run, but for now, the path for interest rates is clearly lower. https://t.co/LQA7a0dlU5 ...

Economic Growth and Tariffs - The U.S. economy experienced a significant growth rate of 4.4% in the third quarter of 2025, marking the fastest pace in two years, driven by consumer spending, exports, government spending, and investment [2] - A narrower trade deficit contributed 1.62 percentage points to overall GDP growth, with imports declining [1][2] - President Trump attributes this economic turnaround to his tariff policies, claiming they have transformed the U.S. from a "DEAD" country to the "HOTTEST" economy in the world [3][5] Stock Market Performance - The stock market has seen a strong bull run, with the S&P 500 up approximately 24% since Trump's tariff announcement in April 2025, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average nearing 49,449 [6][9] - Trump predicts the Dow will soon break 50,000, reflecting his bullish outlook on the stock market's continued growth [6][10] Retirement Accounts and Wealth Creation - The average 401(k) balance rose by 9% year-over-year to an all-time high of $144,400 in Q3 2025, benefiting from the stock market surge [9] - The U.S. stock market is emphasized as a powerful engine of wealth creation, with significant gains flowing into retirement accounts [9] Investment Opportunities - Platforms like Moby provide market research to simplify stock analysis, with their recommendations outperforming the S&P 500 by nearly 12% on average over the past four years [11] - Fundrise has disrupted the venture capital space by allowing retail investors to invest in private tech companies with a minimum investment of $10, aiming to build a portfolio of valuable firms [13][14] Real Estate Investment - Real estate is highlighted as a cornerstone of wealth-building, with properties providing consistent rental income and a hedge against inflation [16] - Crowdfunding platforms like Arrived enable investors to buy shares in rental homes with as little as $100, making real estate investment more accessible [17][18] - Institutional-quality real estate investments are available through platforms like Lightstone DIRECT, which requires a minimum investment of $100,000 and has a strong historical performance [20][21][22]

Japanese voters will head to the polls on Sunday after Prime Minister Sana Takayichi took a bold gamble and called for a snap election just 3 months into her role. Takayichi is not only putting her leadership on the line as Japan's first ever female prime minister, but the stakes are also high for the country and beyond. Japan plays an outsized role in global financial markets as one of the world's largest economies.Takai's decision to call a snap election already triggered a sharp sell-off in Japan's longe ...

The Malaysian ringgit, Asia’s top performing currency in the past year, still has potential to gain as the economy continues to perform strongly, Second Finance Minister Amir Hamzah Azizan said, indicating that growth forecasts may be revised higher https://t.co/y4TIRpusFq ...

We have a high-growth, low-inflation economy right now.It doesn’t matter what the “experts” tell you.The data is overwhelming.GDP is BOOMING.Inflation is crashing. ...

Let's get to the Fed. Is there any doubt in your mind that interest rates are going to be lowered. >> Not much.>> Why. How can you say that. >> I just think they're going to be lowered.I mean, they should >> Is your new Fed pick on board with that. >> We're way high. Okay.We're way high in interest. We have now with me and with all the money I'm I've always been good at money. And with all the money coming into our country, we're a rich country again.We have debt, but we also have growth. And the growth wil ...

Poland’s central bank kept interest rates steady, pausing its easing cycle for a second month, after unexpectedly strong economic growth. https://t.co/RmINXMUQBn ...