Getty Images By Ryan J. Puplava Tariff-ic Trouble The week opened with policy-driven volatility after President Trump raised the Section 122 global tariff rate to 15% from 10% and warned of further measures against countries attempting to revisit trade agreements. Reports that the EU was pausing approval of a deal added to uncertainty, and speculation that Congress may not extend Section 122 tarif...
Getty Images By Ryan J. Puplava Tariff-ic Trouble The week opened with policy-driven volatility after President Trump raised the Section 122 global tariff rate to 15% from 10% and warned of further measures against countries attempting to revisit trade agreements. Reports that the EU was pausing approval of a deal added to uncertainty, and speculation that Congress may not extend Section 122 tariffs beyond 150 days compounded the ambiguity. Markets repriced quickly. The S&P 500 fell 1.0% Monday, the Nasdaq 1.1%, and the Dow 1.7%, with the S&P closing below its 50-day moving average. Small- and mid-caps underperformed, reflecting greater sensitivity to tighter financial conditions. Import-heavy consumer discretionary names such as Williams-Sonoma ( WSM ) (-6.0%), lululemon ( LULU ) (-4.9%), and Nike ( NKE ) (-3.6%) were pressured, while travel names like Expedia ( EXPE ) (-7.4%) and MGM Resorts ( MGM ) (-6.9%) declined alongside broader cyclicals. Defensive sectors - consumer staples (+1.5%), healthcare (+1.2%), and utilities (+0.7%) - led performance. By Friday, inflation data reinforced caution. January PPI rose 0.5% month over month versus 0.3% expected, and core PPI surged 0.8% versus 0.3% expected. The hotter pipeline inflation print complicated expectations for Fed easing and weighed on rate-sensitive equities, particularly small caps. The Russell 2000 fell 2.1% Friday, materially underperforming large caps. Other economic data were resilient: Consumer Confidence rose to 91.2 versus 86 expected, initial jobless claims held at 212,000, and Chicago PMI jumped to 57.7 versus 52.5 expected. Growth remains intact, but sticky inflation narrows policy flexibility. Investment Implication : Tariff risk and firm inflation tend to support defensive sectors and energy while pressuring cyclicals and small caps. Hotter PPI can push Treasury yields higher, weighing on longer-duration bond prices and increasing equity rate sensitivity. AI: Chips Up, Apps Down Technology once a...
A Bolivian military aircraft transporting cash for the central bank crashed near El Alto International Airport in the western part of the country, leaving more than 10 people dead and an unspecified number injured. The crash was followed by unrest at the scene as dozens of people attempted to seize banknotes scattered across the area, clashing with security forces. Police used tear gas and water c...
A Bolivian military aircraft transporting cash for the central bank crashed near El Alto International Airport in the western part of the country, leaving more than 10 people dead and an unspecified number injured. The crash was followed by unrest at the scene as dozens of people attempted to seize banknotes scattered across the area, clashing with security forces. Police used tear gas and water cannons to disperse crowds before burning the bills after central bank officials said the cash had no legal value. “These banknotes are not valid, they are illegal, they are not in circulation. Therefore, we are proceeding to burn them, and anyone who holds them is acting illegally,” David Espinoza , the central bank’s president, said at the site as flames consumed the currency. The shipment was part of a contract for 966.9 million banknotes from Crane Currency Malta Ltd., Espinoza said, without specifying how much money was on board. The cash was being transported by military aircraft from Santa Cruz to El Alto, near the capital La Paz. The Air Force said eight crew members were on board the aircraft. At least six were injured and two remained missing at about 9 p.m. local time. Most of the victims were people in vehicles that were struck by the plane as it crashed. Authorities are investigating the cause of the incident. At least 12 people were arrested amid the clashes, and some individuals attempted to damage airport infrastructure, authorities said.
DoJ says it will not ask US supreme court to rehear tariffs case despite president’s complaint on Truth Social The Trump administration said businesses seeking refunds of tariffs struck down by the US supreme court “will take time,” according to court documents filed by the justice department on Friday. The justice department did not say it plans to ask the supreme court to rehear the case, despit...
DoJ says it will not ask US supreme court to rehear tariffs case despite president’s complaint on Truth Social The Trump administration said businesses seeking refunds of tariffs struck down by the US supreme court “will take time,” according to court documents filed by the justice department on Friday. The justice department did not say it plans to ask the supreme court to rehear the case, despite Donald Trump’s comments earlier on Friday. Continue reading...
Funtap/iStock via Getty Images All nine One Choice Portfolios posted positive returns in the fourth quarter. Market Environment Global stocks advanced in the fourth quarter. Non-U.S. developed markets equities outperformed U.S. stocks. Large-cap equities outperformed small- and mid-cap stocks in the quarter, while value-oriented stocks outperformed growth. The U.S. economy continued expanding, but...
Funtap/iStock via Getty Images All nine One Choice Portfolios posted positive returns in the fourth quarter. Market Environment Global stocks advanced in the fourth quarter. Non-U.S. developed markets equities outperformed U.S. stocks. Large-cap equities outperformed small- and mid-cap stocks in the quarter, while value-oriented stocks outperformed growth. The U.S. economy continued expanding, but growth slowed somewhat as the quarter progressed. The U.S. government shutdown that began in October and dragged into early November did not dramatically deter investors, even as it delayed or eliminated key government economic data. The Federal Reserve, reacting to weakness in the U.S. labor market, reduced its benchmark interest rate twice during the quarter. Bonds had a positive quarter across the board. Nearly all sectors of the bond market advanced. Treasuries slightly outperformed investment-grade corporates. Corporate bond returns were limited by the same economic uncertainty that weighed on U.S. equities during the period. Investment-grade U.S. bonds outperformed non-U.S. bonds on a currency-neutral basis. Key Contributors International holdings led the way. Top absolute performers in the applicable portfolios were International Value, Non-U.S. Intrinsic Value, Emerging Markets and Focused Dynamic Growth. Nearly all bond positions gained. Across fixed-income holdings, Emerging Markets Debt, High Income and Short Duration were top performers. Key Detractors Few absolute detractors for the quarter. In a strong environment for both equities and bonds, only Heritage, Small Cap Value, Inflation-Adjusted Bond and Global Real Estate generated negative returns during the quarter. Outlook and Dynamic Risk Management Process We continue to see innovation and opportunity in equity markets. The financial markets delivered positive returns in 2025 despite the backdrop of geopolitical and policy uncertainties. Similarly, U.S. economic growth remains resilient. Economic and marke...
Actor, originally charged on two counts, accused of battery against third person in bar incident, sources say New Orleans police on Friday obtained a new warrant to arrest actor Shia LaBeouf in connection with a case that had already left him facing two counts of battery. The new warrant brings the number of people whom LaBeouf is accused of battering to three, multiple sources told Guardian repor...
Actor, originally charged on two counts, accused of battery against third person in bar incident, sources say New Orleans police on Friday obtained a new warrant to arrest actor Shia LaBeouf in connection with a case that had already left him facing two counts of battery. The new warrant brings the number of people whom LaBeouf is accused of battering to three, multiple sources told Guardian reporting partner WWL Louisiana . The Guardian independently verified the information with a criminal justice source with direct knowledge of the warrant. Continue reading...
At a current price of $67,000, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is now 46% below its all-time high of $126,000 from October. For more than four months now, there has been steady selling pressure on Bitcoin. So it's perhaps no surprise that prediction market traders think Bitcoin has almost no chance of hitting $150,000 this year. But what if they're ignoring the bull-case scenario hiding in plain sight? Righ...
At a current price of $67,000, Bitcoin (CRYPTO: BTC) is now 46% below its all-time high of $126,000 from October. For more than four months now, there has been steady selling pressure on Bitcoin. So it's perhaps no surprise that prediction market traders think Bitcoin has almost no chance of hitting $150,000 this year. But what if they're ignoring the bull-case scenario hiding in plain sight? Right now, Polymarket traders are giving Bitcoin a 10% chance of hitting $150,000 by the end of this year. That's remarkably low. By way of comparison, they are also giving Bitcoin a 10% chance of hitting $20,000 this year. In other words, they say it's just as likely that Bitcoin soars in value by 120% as it is that Bitcoin declines in value by another 70%. Continue reading
Will China Come To Iran's Rescue? Via Middle East Eye As tensions between Iran and the US-Israeli alliance approach a critical juncture, a question echoes through global capitals, newsrooms and policy circles: will China come to Iran’s rescue? And if so, what would that assistance look like? The answer defies the binary expectations of traditional military alliances. China is unlikely to di spatch...
Will China Come To Iran's Rescue? Via Middle East Eye As tensions between Iran and the US-Israeli alliance approach a critical juncture, a question echoes through global capitals, newsrooms and policy circles: will China come to Iran’s rescue? And if so, what would that assistance look like? The answer defies the binary expectations of traditional military alliances. China is unlikely to di spatch troops or engage directly in any conflict , but to interpret this as passivity would be to misread the nature of 21st-century great power competition. China's support for Iran is real, multifaceted, and in some ways more sustainable than military intervention ; it just operates on a different strategic wavelength. At the UN Security Council, China has consistently deployed its most potent weapon: the veto-wielding power of principle. In an emergency meeting last month, Chinese Ambassador Sun Lei delivered a stark message to Washington: "The use of force can never solve problems. It will only make them more complex and intractable. Any military adventurism would only push the region toward an unpredictable abyss ." This is not empty rhetoric. China’s official position explicitly supports "safeguarding Iran’s sovereignty, security, and territorial integrity”, while opposing “the threat or use of force in international relations”. By anchoring its stance in the UN Charter and international law , China provides Tehran with something invaluable: legitimacy on the world stage, and a powerful counter-narrative to western pressure. Strategic alignment The diplomatic calculus shifted fundamentally when Iran was formally approved in 2021 as a full member of the Shanghai Cooperation Organisation (SCO), joining China, Russia and Central Asian nations. This was followed by Tehran’s inclusion in the Brics bloc . These are not military pacts, but they create something perhaps more enduring: a framework for permanent consultation and strategic alignment. Last year, Chinese, Russian and Ir...