News & Insights
Vance says Fed should lower interest rates: ‘Would be nice to have some help’
4 Sep 2026
The Federal Reserve should cut interest rates to make homes more affordable, Vice President JD Vance said Thursday, adding to the pressure President Donald Trump has placed on the central bank to cut borrowing costs. The remarks came days after Trump’s handpicked Fed…
Read moreThe one thing that caught Goldman Sachs’ notice this earnings season
4 Sep 2026
After the relentless barrage of ASX earnings announcements during the August reporting season, the one thing that stood out the most for Goldman Sachs was the number of companies that rallied on better-than-expected results only…
Read moreStock futures rise after Trump extends ceasefire with Iran: Live updates
U.S. stock futures rose on Tuesday night after President Donald Trump extended the U.S. ceasefire in Iran. S&P 500 futures and Nasdaq 100 futures both added 0.4%. Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose by 190 points, or 0.4%.…
PACIFIC COMPASS – From Resilience to Repricing: Navigating a Risk-Off Shift [April 2026 Review]
MONTHLY ECONOMIC & INVESTMENT REVIEW: Executive Summary March 2026 was characterised by a broad-based risk-off environment across global financial markets, driven by a combination of tightening financial conditions, renewed geopolitical uncertainty, and growing concerns around…
Amazon to invest up to another $25 billion in Anthropic as part of AI infrastructure deal
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/20/amazon-invest-up-to-25-billion-in-anthropic-part-of-ai-infrastructure.html
Traders bet on strait reopening as FOMO grips markets
Terrified of missing out on a sudden surge in asset prices, traders are diving back into the market betting that the crucial Strait of Hormuz in the Middle East will reopen within a month despite…
War and inflation point to $125m profit boost for Woolworths, Coles
Higher food prices and a fall in the number of people dining out will help deliver a $125 million boost to profits at Woolworths and Coles in the next financial year, and their move towards…
ASX to edge higher, oil rises
Australian shares are set to open slightly higher. Shares opened the trading week in New York modestly lower, with a focus on the US war against Iran and an accelerated pace of corporate results. ASX…
Investors are misreading news about the Iran war, analysts say as markets whipsaw
“Complacent” investors risk getting wrong-footed as they continue to misread developments in the Iran war, analysts said after markets reacted to the brief reopening of the Strait of Hormuz on Friday, only for their hopes…
We spoke to over 30 central bankers, policymakers and politicians. Here are their top concerns
Source: https://www.cnbc.com/2026/04/18/iran-war-inflation-prices-energy-trump-economy-end.html
Market mistakes: The ‘SaaSpocalypse’ and other AI-disruption errors
There have been two main topics dominating the headlines so far this year – the disruption caused by artificial intelligence and the war in Iran. Their influence on markets has been significant, including the S&P/ASX 200…
S&P and Nasdaq hit big records as Wall St ends on high
Speculation the Iran war is poised to end sent risky assets surging anew, extending a month-long rally that’s lifted the S&P 500 Index to a succession of records, added around $US12,000 to the price of…