The geopolitical backdrop in the Middle East remained tense after renewed threats to Iranian infrastructure from President Donald Trump, although reports of a potential deal could limit the demand for the dollar.
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Escalating geopolitical risk continued to dominate global markets' concerns, with safe-haven demand keeping the dollar index anchored near a multi-week high.
XRP has had the strongest fundamental setup of any altcoin in 2026—a commodity classification from both the SEC and CFTC, seven ETFs with $1.44 billion in inflows, and major partnerships with Mastercard and Deutsche Bank.
EWP is a pure-play bet on Spanish large-cap equities. It tracks the MSCI Spain Index and holds roughly 30 publicly traded Spanish companies, giving investors concentrated exposure to a single economy rather than the blended eurozone exposure you'd get from a broader fund. The ETF has been around since March 1996 and currently holds about $1.9 billion in net assets.
Warning to the invading American ruling establishment and its affiliated spy companies. You ignored our repeated warnings about the necessity of halting terrorist operations, and today, in terrorist attacks carried out by you and your Israeli allies, a number of Iranian citizens were martyred.
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.
In my view, interest rates are more likely than not going to head lower over the course of 2026 and into 2027. I'm not saying we're due for a pandemic-like selloff, but I do think that weakness in the labor market is likely more protracted than the government data suggest. As such, I do think the makeup of the Federal Reserve, and which way many of its presidents and voting members lean (toward providing support for the labor market over battling inflation) could lead to much faster rate cuts than many think.
Energy prices remain the main driver of investor sentiment. Brent Crude is still trading above $85 a barrel-approximately 20% higher than before the latest flare-up in regional tensions-raising fresh concerns about the inflationary impact of prolonged instability.
Services experienced the highest annual increase at 3.4%, followed by food, alcohol, and tobacco at 2.5%. Non-energy industrial goods saw a more modest increase of 0.7%. Meanwhile, energy prices fell by 3.1% over the month, which helped to temper overall inflation pressures.
Markets remain fragile amid persistent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, which have pushed oil prices higher and revived concerns about inflation in Europe. While interest rates are expected to remain unchanged, attention could turn to the ECB's forward guidance and assessment of energy-driven price risks.
Gold keeps cranking higher with spot prices moving to a new all-time high a whisker off $4,640, while silver extended its parabolic rally to clear $90. Crude prices were at three-month highs with Brent (continuous) running into resistance at the 200-day moving average around $65.75, as flagged in yesterday's note. WTI spiked to $61.50 - as noted on Friday a clear break above $59 was likely to see a swift move toward the $60-61 area.
European markets have kicked off on a negative fitting in a day that looks jampacked full of potential obstacles that will leave many be believing they are best served sitting it out for now. In a week that has seen a new front runner for the fed chair position, today's FOMC interest rate decision provides the basis for market rate expectations in the months ahead.
The European Central Bank (ECB) held its key interest rates unchanged following the February meeting of the Governing Council, in line with Cebr projections. This marks the fifth consecutive hold, despite a below-target inflation reading of 1.7% in January, the lowest level since 2021. The decision to hold rates also comes despite a recent Euro rally against the dollar, which is expected to add disinflationary pressure through cheaper imports and weigh on growth by making the bloc's exports more expensive.
U.S. financial markets began the year on a positive note, with major stock indexes reaching new highs despite ongoing geopolitical uncertainty and emerging signs of economic cooling. Investors showed renewed confidence, particularly in smaller and value-oriented companies, which outperformed the large technology-driven stocks that dominated returns in recent years. This shift suggests broader participation in the market rally and growing optimism beyond a narrow group of companies.
