Global Asset Price Performance - Global commodity prices have declined, with major stock markets showing mixed results; the S&P 500, Dow Jones, and Nasdaq indices fell by 1.6%, 1.2%, and 3% respectively this week [2][3] - In the bond market, yields in major overseas markets mostly increased, with the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield remaining stable compared to last week [2] - Oil prices decreased, with WTI and Brent crude oil falling by 1.9% and 2.5% respectively, while London gold prices dropped by 0.1% [2] Major Central Bank Monetary Policies - The Federal Reserve is experiencing increasing divisions regarding interest rate cuts, particularly due to the government shutdown affecting key inflation data; some officials advocate for a cautious approach while others see inflation as a more pressing concern [5] - The European Central Bank announced that Bulgaria will adopt the euro on January 1, 2026, with the central bank governor gaining voting rights on the governing council [5] U.S. Economic Dynamics - The U.S. Supreme Court is questioning the legality of tariffs imposed by the Trump administration, which could lead to the potential reversal of $100 billion in tariff revenue [9] - Recent local elections indicate a resurgence for the Democratic Party, with victories in New Jersey, Virginia, and New York City [9] - Consumer confidence in the U.S. has declined to 50.3, close to historical lows, due to the ongoing government shutdown and its negative impacts [10] - The liquidity situation in the U.S. is tightening, with the SOFR rate spiking to 4.22% and the Federal Reserve's balance sheet reduction potentially exacerbating the funding shortage [10] - The U.S. labor market shows signs of stabilization with an increase of 42,000 jobs in October, although layoffs in certain sectors remain a concern [11] Other Regional Economic Dynamics - Eurozone retail sales fell by 0.1% in September, driven by weak demand for fuel and non-food items, while food and beverage sales remained stable [18] - The Eurozone manufacturing PMI held steady at 50%, indicating slight recovery, but new export orders and employment levels continue to decline [18]

Group 1 - The three major U.S. stock indices turned positive on October 17, with the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising by 0.47% [1] - The S&P 500 index increased by 0.19% [1] - The Nasdaq Composite index saw a gain of 0.12% [1]

Group 1 - The U.S. stock market experienced a rebound on October 13, following a significant drop the previous weekend, coinciding with President Trump's softened stance on imposing high tariffs on China [1][3] - Trump's initial threat to impose tariffs came after China's announcement of restrictions on rare earth exports, but he later expressed optimism about U.S.-China relations, stating "everything will be fine" [1][3] - Major stock indices responded positively to Trump's change in tone, with the Nasdaq index leading the gains at 2.2% and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rising by 630 points, or 1.4% [3] Group 2 - Analyst Adam Sarhan from 50 Park Investments noted that Trump's attitude shift sent a positive signal to the market, indicating a potential improvement in U.S.-China relations [3] - Market reactions to Trump's statements have led to frustration among professional investors, with Patrick O'Hare from Briefing commenting on the market's susceptibility to Trump's social media posts [3] - O'Hare highlighted the fragility of market pricing, suggesting that stock prices are easily influenced by threats to optimistic market outlooks [3]

Core Insights - The Federal Reserve's October meeting silence period will begin next week, with Chairman Powell set to deliver his final public remarks before the silence on October 15 [1] - Market focus includes potential restructuring of the FOMC due to the new Fed Chair nomination, the impact of a weak U.S. labor market on front-end Treasury yields, and the long-term effects of global "de-dollarization" consensus on the U.S. dollar exchange rate [1] - The forecast suggests a continued weak dollar until the end of 2026, with a potential interest rate cut exceeding expectations by 75 basis points in Q4 2025 [1] Market Summary - Major U.S. indices experienced significant sell-offs due to escalating trade tensions, particularly in response to U.S. tariff comments on China [3] - The S&P 500 index fell by 2.7% to 6,549.5 points, the Dow Jones by 1.9% to 45,453 points, and the Nasdaq 100 by 3.5% to 24,175.75 points, indicating a broad market decline [5] - The VIX index surged as fear and uncertainty increased, while U.S. 10-year Treasury yields declined due to safe-haven demand and expectations of Fed easing [5] Commodity and Currency Movements - WTI crude oil saw a slight rebound from recent lows amid hopes for trade easing [4] - Gold futures surged to historical highs driven by inflows of safe-haven funds and rising rate cut expectations [6] - The dollar index remained stable due to safe-haven demand, while gold showed strength amid these conditions [9] European Market Dynamics - Despite credit rating downgrades in countries like France, European markets displayed resilience, particularly benefiting financial stocks amid regulatory and capital relief expectations [7] - Major European indices, including DAX and CAC, showed general weakness, unable to fully escape global sell-off pressures [9]

Core Insights - The U.S. stock market experienced a significant decline, with the Dow Jones dropping by 1.9%, the S&P 500 by 2.71%, and the Nasdaq by 3.56% [3] - The VIX (Volatility Index) surged above 20, indicating increased market fear, while the dollar index fell by 0.57%, oil prices dropped nearly 4%, and Bitcoin decreased by approximately 5.5% [3] - Gold emerged as the only asset gaining value during this sell-off, as investors shifted from "faith" to "safe haven" assets [4] Market Dynamics - The current market turmoil is linked to growing skepticism about the AI bubble, with a potential for a larger market correction as investors rush to exit positions [4] - Systematic selling pressure is evident, with UBS warning that a 1% drop in the S&P could trigger around $20 billion in programmatic selling, escalating to $280 billion with a 3% decline [4] - The S&P 500 closed at 6652, and analysts caution that a drop below 6600 could lead to forced selling from previously stabilizing hedges [4] Future Outlook - The market may face further declines, with analysts predicting a "Black Monday" following the recent downturn [4] - The recent "tweet shockwave" has raised concerns about trust in the market, potentially marking the beginning of a trust crisis [4] - Upcoming reports will address the implications of the AI bubble, the demand for gold, and the fate of a significant stock that reflects the broader Chinese capital market [6][7]

Market Performance - The Dow reached its highest levels on record, increasing by 405 points, or 0.9% [1] - The S&P 500 also hit record highs, rising by 0.3% [1] - The Nasdaq Composite experienced a slight increase, with all three indices needing to close higher to set fresh closing records [1] Economic Indicators - The ISM's services purchasing managers index (PMI) fell to a reading of 50 in September, down from 52 in August [2] - Economists had anticipated the PMI to remain at 52, indicating a discrepancy between expectations and actual performance [2]

Market Overview - Global financial markets exhibit complex and divergent trends, with the US market continuing to reach new highs driven by strong performance in technology and small-cap stocks [1] - The S&P 500 and Russell 2000 indices show notable gains, while the Dow Jones index experiences a slight increase, supported by robust corporate earnings and positive developments in the AI sector [1][3] - In contrast, European markets show weakness, with the UK FTSE 100 index slightly up, while the German DAX and French CAC 40 indices both decline, reflecting concerns over economic growth and policy uncertainty in the region [1][3] Commodity Performance - Gold prices have significantly risen, indicating strong demand, while WTI crude oil prices are under pressure due to expectations of increased supply [1][4] - The reopening of a major pipeline in Iraq has heightened supply concerns, contributing to a decline in oil prices [4] Key Indices and Movements - The S&P 500 index increased by 0.44% to 6,693.75, while the Dow Jones rose by 0.14% to 46,381.54 [4] - The Nasdaq 100 index saw a rise of 0.55% to 22,788.98, and the Russell 2000 index increased by 0.60% to 2,463.34 [4] - European indices such as the DAX and CAC 40 experienced declines of 0.48% and 0.30%, respectively, indicating a bearish sentiment in the region [4] Investor Sentiment - Overall, investors maintain a defensive stance with limited risk appetite, as evidenced by the mixed performance across global markets [3] - The focus for upcoming trading days will be on signals from the Federal Reserve regarding monetary policy and key inflation data [3]

Core Viewpoint - The Federal Reserve has lowered the federal funds rate to a range of 4.00%-4.25%, indicating the start of a global easing trend, which will impact various asset prices and investment strategies [1][5]. Group 1: Impact on Different Asset Classes - Historical data from 1970 shows that during global easing cycles, the return hierarchy is: equities > gold > bonds > US dollar > other commodities [5]. - In the context of the US economy, the prevailing view on Wall Street is a mild recession, with the current rate cut being termed as "preemptive" to ensure a soft landing [5][6]. Group 2: A-shares and H-shares - A-shares and H-shares have experienced six instances of Federal Reserve rate cuts, with three being "preemptive" (1995, 1998, 2019), showing inconsistent market responses [6]. - For example, during the 1995 rate cut, the Shanghai Composite Index initially rose but then fell significantly, while in 1998, it showed a clear upward trend [7]. - The H-share market tends to respond more positively to rate cuts due to its sensitivity to US dollar liquidity, benefiting from the influx of capital when the Fed eases [10]. Group 3: Bonds - Bonds generally appreciate during rate cut cycles, with long-term bonds showing more significant gains compared to short-term ones [8]. - The logic is straightforward: a rate cut leads to lower bond yields, which in turn raises bond prices [8][17]. Group 4: Gold - While many factors influence gold prices, historical evidence suggests that "preemptive" rate cuts have a limited impact on gold, although its financial and anti-inflation properties remain strong [12]. Group 5: US Stocks - Historically, during five instances of "preemptive" rate cuts, major US stock indices have generally risen, with an average increase of over 17% across various periods [15][16]. - The most recent preemptive cut in 2019 saw modest gains in major indices, indicating that while returns can be positive, they may vary significantly based on economic conditions [15]. Group 6: US Dollar Index - The relationship between rate cuts and the US dollar index is complex; while rate cuts can reduce the dollar's attractiveness, a stronger US economy can still support a rising dollar [20][21]. - Historical data shows mixed results for the dollar index during rate cut cycles, with three instances of decline and one of increase [22].

Global Asset Price Performance - Global stock markets experienced a broad rally, with the S&P 500 and Dow Jones indices both rising by 1.6%, and the Nasdaq index increasing by 2% this week [2][3] - In the bond market, the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield continued to decline by 4 basis points [2] - Commodity prices saw a decrease in crude oil, with WTI and Brent crude oil prices falling by 1.7% and 0.9% respectively, while London gold prices rose by 1.6% [2] Major Central Bank Monetary Policies - Federal Reserve: A U.S. District Court judge temporarily blocked Trump's attempt to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, allowing her to potentially attend the upcoming FOMC meeting [5] - European Central Bank: The ECB maintained its deposit rate at 2%, marking the second consecutive pause in rate cuts, with little change in inflation outlook [5] U.S. Economic Dynamics - Inflation in the U.S. showed moderate growth, with the CPI year-on-year increase rising to 2.9%. Core CPI remained stable, but a slight increase of 0.05 percentage points was noted [9] - Initial jobless claims rose to 263,000, reaching the highest level in nearly four years, indicating a cooling labor market [9] - The NFIB small business confidence index reached 100.8, the highest since January 2025, driven by a significant increase in new orders [10] Other Regional Economic Dynamics - France: The government faced a crisis as Prime Minister Borne resigned after losing parliamentary confidence, with the new Prime Minister likely to struggle for majority support [21] - Germany: Industrial production showed a month-on-month increase of 1.3% and a year-on-year increase of 1.5%, indicating potential for recovery despite ongoing challenges [21]

Core Viewpoint - Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell has opened the door for potential interest rate cuts as early as next month, indicating a shift in economic outlook due to a possible significant slowdown in the labor market and concerns over inflation driven by tariffs [1][2][4]. Economic Outlook - Powell noted that the balance of risks is changing, with the labor market showing signs of weakness, which could lead to increased layoffs and rising unemployment rates [1][3]. - The Fed has maintained interest rates steady this year, citing a robust labor market and uncertainty regarding inflation risks from tariffs [1][2]. Inflation Concerns - Powell emphasized that the impact of tariffs on consumer prices is becoming clearer and is expected to accumulate in the coming months, raising questions about whether these price increases will lead to persistent inflation risks [2][4]. - He expressed greater confidence that the inflationary effects of tariffs may be temporary, but warned that rising costs could lead to a wage-price spiral if workers successfully negotiate higher wages [2][3]. Market Reactions - Following Powell's speech, traders increased bets on a rate cut in September, with the probability now exceeding 90%, up from about 75% before his remarks [5]. - U.S. stock indices rose over 1%, with the Dow Jones reaching a new historical high, while the dollar index fell below 98 [5]. Analyst Insights - Analysts believe Powell's dovish stance indicates readiness for a rate cut in September, driven by labor market weaknesses rather than tariff-induced price increases [7][8]. - Powell's commitment to data-driven policy decisions reflects a response to political pressures, emphasizing that monetary policy will not follow a predetermined path [8].