Skip to content

Category: Daily Instagraph

A matter of proportion

By leon

Today’s chart is a simple but striking reminder of how concentrated global equity markets have become. The market cap of the 10 largest US companies now stands around $24.5 trillion — larger than China’s entire GDP. Even more telling, the top five US tech names alone are worth roughly $17.6 trillion, which is more than … Continued

The voting machine

By leon

A historic move yesterday: the S&P 500 opened up 1.4% and finished down 1.5%. Such intraday reversals are extremely rare — the last comparable ones occurred on Liberation Day and during the Covid crash. NVIDIA’s excellent results were not enough to calm markets. Some investors viewed the numbers with suspicion, others simply took profits, assuming … Continued

Master of the universe

By leon

NVIDIA delivered solid results and an upbeat outlook yesterday after the close, reassuring investors and lifting the share price by about 5% in late trading. Third-quarter numbers were again impressive: revenue rose 62% to USD 57 billion, ahead of expectations. The company now guides for roughly USD 65 billion in sales for the January quarter. … Continued

Never a dull moment

By leon

As the saying goes, you only know it’s a bubble when it bursts. What we can say today is that valuations appear stretched in certain parts of the market, notably within the AI segment. At the same time, valuations alone remain a poor timing tool — and unlike during the Internet bubble, today’s tech leaders … Continued

Meanwhile in Japan

By leon

Japan’s 20-year bond yield has surged to 2.78%, the highest in more than 25 years, as markets question the government’s massive stimulus package and its impact on an already heavy 263% debt-to-GDP burden. Expectations that these plans may require a more dovish BOJ are adding to the sell-off in JGBs. A key risk now is … Continued

Valuation update

By leon

We start the week with our regular look at global equity valuations. The message remains broadly unchanged: US large caps continue to trade at elevated levels, both versus their own long-term history and compared to the rest of the world. What is noteworthy is that even when excluding the US tech sector, valuations for US … Continued

Consumer Angst

By leon

US consumers remain unusually depressed: confidence has fallen to levels typically seen only during recessions. This is puzzling at first glance — unemployment remains low, and equity markets have held up reasonably well in USD terms this year (think positive wealth effect). Beneath the reassuring headline data, households are feeling the strain. The combination of … Continued

Not only gold

By leon

While gold and silver have captured the spotlight, copper has quietly reached a new all-time high this year. Long seen as a barometer of global economic health, “Dr. Copper” is now driven by more than just industrial demand. The energy transition and the AI revolution are powering a structural shift: electric vehicles, renewable grids, and … Continued

Going quiet

By leon

Warren Buffett announced that he is “going quiet,” marking the end of an era for one of the business world’s most respected voices as he will no longer write his famous annual letters or speak at the company’s meetings. This marks another step in Buffett’s gradual handover to his longtime deputy, Greg Abel, who inherits … Continued

No impact (yet)

By leon

For months, investors have debated the impact of the Trump administration’s tariff policy on global trade and, ultimately, on world growth. Some even predicted the end of globalisation. So far, the data tell a more nuanced story: the volume of world merchandise trade has continued its upward trend. It is too early to conclude that … Continued