Fortune (December 11)
“For all the volatility 2025 has endured, things have actually turned out relatively well: The S&P 500 is up by more than 17%, inflation hasn’t spiked despite an onslaught of tariffs, and the unemployment rate has stayed fairly steady. Analysts and investors are generally feeling positive about 2026 as a result.” This may be overlooking signs of weakness. “Beneath the relatively robust macroeconomic picture, cracks are beginning to show.”
Tags: 17%, 2025, 2026, Analysts, Endured, Inflation, Investors, Macroeconomic, Overlooking, Positive, S&P 500, Steady, Tariffs, Unemployment, Volatility, Weakness
Reuters (July 3)
“Big investors are mobilising to trade through weeks packed with wild-card events that may shatter the calm in stock markets and drive big swings for assets they see as exposed to both positive or negative surprises, from gold to corporate credit.”
Tags: Assets, Big swings, Calm, Corporate credit, Exposed, Gold, Investors, Negative, Positive, Shatter, Stock markets, Surprises, Trade, Wild-card events
World Bank (September 3)
“India remained the fastest-growing major economy and grew at a rapid clip of 8.2 percent in FY23/24…. Amid challenging external conditions, the World Bank expects India’s medium-term outlook to remain positive. Growth is forecast to reach 7 percent in FY24/25 and remain strong in FY25/26 and FY26/27.”
Tags: 8.2%, External conditions, Fastest-growing, Forecast, FY23/24, Growth, India, Major economy, Outlook, Positive, Rapid clip, World Bank
Foreign Policy (August 1)
The U.S. economic pivot to Asia began in 2011, but its tenor “has switched from economic offense to defense.” In the intervening years, “America’s positive economic agenda in Asia—opening markets, lowering barriers to trade, sealing agreements—bore virtually no fruit.” Largely driven by China, the U.S. instead raised tariffs, imposed sanctions, and “moved to de-risk and ‘friendshore’” supply chains.
Tags: 2011, Agenda, Agreements, Asia, China, De-risk, Defense, Economic offense, Economic pivot, Friendshore, Lowering barriers, Opening markets, Positive, Sanctions, Tariffs, Trade, U.S.
Bloomberg (October 27)
“The VIX is at 20, stocks are on the brink of their worst October in five years, and every other day the bond market throws a fit. For equity bulls conditioned to dive in at any sign of weakness, it’s getting to be too much. Across investor categories, they’re pulling money out” and moving to a defensive posture.” But “from a contrarian standpoint, all the gloom is a positive, suggesting latent buying power should sentiment ever flip.”
Tags: Bond market, Buying power, Contrarian, Defensive posture, Equity bulls, Fit, Gloom, Investor, Latent, October, Positive, Sentiment, VIX, Weakness, Worst
CNN (April 25)
“Oil prices fell sharply Monday as lockdowns in China stoked concerns that the country’s zero-Covid strategy will sap energy demand in the world’s second-largest economy.” The concerns over China “could create one positive for consumers: They may ease pressure on prices at the pump.” On Monday, “US oil dropped as much as 6.7% to a two-week low of $95.28 a barrel.”
Tags: China, Concerns, Consumers, Demand, Ease, Energy, Lockdowns, Oil prices, Positive, Prices, Pump, Zero COVID
Washington Post (January 12)
“Given the number of daily positive tests rising to record levels,” most of us will get COVID. “On Monday, the seven-day average reached more than 760,000, meaning about 1 in every 60 Americans has tested positive in the last week alone.”
Tags: Covid, Positive, Record levels, Rising, Seven-day average, Tests, U.S.
The Times (September 14)
“Only 0.5 per cent of Covid-19 deaths in the first six months of the year followed ‘breakthrough infections’ in fully vaccinated people, figures show…. The Office for National Statistics said only 256 out of 51,281 coronavirus deaths appeared to be true “breakthrough” infections, in which people tested positive at least a fortnight after their second dose.”
Tags: Breakthrough infections, COVID-19, Deaths, Fully vaccinated, Positive, Second dose, Statistics, Tested
Houston Chronicle (July 27)
“The fourth COVID-19 wave is like a sequel to a movie that no one ever wanted to watch in the first place…. Last week, the number of lab-confirmed COVID-19 hospitalizations statewide broke 4,000 for the first time since March” while Greater Houston is seeing over 1,000 people “testing positive per day…more than seven times last month’s daily average.”
Tags: COVID-19, Daily average, Fourth wave, Hospitalizations, Houston, Lab-confirmed, Positive, Sequel, Testing
BBC (September 16)
America’s standing in the world has tumbled to “its lowest point in nearly two decades.” The most recent Pew Research Center poll of 13 countries found that only 34% of respondents had positive views of the U.S. and only 16% had confidence in President Trump. Interestingly the Belgians had the lowest confidence in Mr. Trump (just 9%) while “the president’s highest rating among the countries polled was in Japan, where a quarter of those surveyed said they trusted Mr Trump.”
Tags: Belgians, Confidence, Lowest, Pew Research, Positive, Standing, Trump, Tumbled, U.S.
