Global Financial Markets

Unfortunately, there doesn’t ring a bell at the top. However, a number of developments are currently underway that suggest a significant stock market peak is imminent or has already been reached. If we are proved right and stock prices fall in the coming months, this will, via the wealth effect, also affect economic growth and, consequently, interest rates and exchange rates.

The markets are discounting the expectation that AI will continue to drive economic growth and profits, and that the Strait of Hormuz will reopen soon, causing energy prices to fall and enabling central banks to limit the number of rate hikes. As a result, US equities have entered a blow-off phase. It is difficult to predict how long this phase will last, but for a number of reasons there is a very high chance that the markets are now becoming over-enthusiastic.

Stock prices are already back at record highs and oil futures are trading well below spot prices. We do not share the optimism this reflects. In this report, we explain why — and why, as a result, EUR/USD could well see some surprising moves.