Market insights

UK equities face political headwinds, but sector composition offers hope. UK inflation risks remain contained.

The Middle East conflict weighs on European stocks, but structural tailwinds present an opportunity. The European Central Bank is hawkish despite growth risks.

China’s export strength masks soft demand; Japanese equities attract investor rotation. Asian credit spreads are tight, so a selective approach is required.

The S&P/TSX climbs to record levels amid Iran tensions, tariff uncertainty. A technical recession masks encouraging signs in the Canadian economy.

There are catalysts for the bull market in stocks to persist. Bonds face a more challenging landscape.

Geopolitical events and oil prices have upended global bond markets and central bank policy expectations this year, but we see it as just the latest tree in a forest of reasons that has steadily driven bond yields higher.

Equity markets need the Strait of Hormuz reopened and the AI wave to play out as advertised. Both are plausible, neither guaranteed.

Some investment opportunities are built on structural forces powerful enough to transcend the noise of today’s investment environment. We see these unstoppable megatrends as defining forces for the coming decades.

The country has seen a new driver of exports, and it has not been affected by the Middle East conflict to the extent of many others. This article assesses China’s current economic performance and the equity market outlook for the remainder of 2026.