#banking-investment

#banking-investment

Monzo's decision to exit the US market is framed as a deliberate, strategic choice to focus on scaling in the UK and Europe, rather than a retreat.

The US dollar returned to the upside as geopolitical fears rebounded after US President Trump's address to the nation. The rhetoric fuelled risk aversion and flows toward the dollar while oil prices surged.

Escalating geopolitical risk continued to dominate global markets' concerns, with safe-haven demand keeping the dollar index anchored near a multi-week high.

The sharp rise in oil prices and renewed inflation concerns created significant pressure on both stocks and bonds, impacting investor sentiment and market dynamics.

The Energy Select Sector SPDR Fund (XLE) is the most widely held energy ETF in the U.S., with roughly $38 billion in net assets, spanning the full energy value chain.

The fund blends high yield corporate bonds, senior loans, and debt tranches of U.S. collateralized loan obligations (CLOs) into a single actively managed portfolio, aiming to deliver income that beats the broad bond market while keeping volatility lower than any single segment on its own.

"They have been more successful than anyone including themselves could have anticipated," said Nick Giles, a senior research analyst at B. Riley Securities who covers several of the firms, most of which are public.

Reports suggest that Stripe is considering a PayPal acquisition, although negotiations on the subject are in early stages with no guarantee of going through.

A review by the editorial board relying on analyses from news organizations shows that Mr. Trump has used the office of the presidency to make at least $1.4 billion.