Stocks
Wall Street's mood just turned dark. Bank of America's latest global fund manager survey shows sentiment at a six month low, and investors are doing something they only do when they're really scared. They're selling stocks and holding cash. Cash levels in
Stocks
The S&P 500 just closed its fourth straight week of losses, and Wall Street is getting nervous. The index closed at 6,507 on Friday, March 20, down 1.5% for the day and down 5.1% for the year. That might not sound catastrophic, but the trend
Fiscal Policy
China just announced its GDP growth target for 2026, and it's the lowest in decades. The government is aiming for 4.5% to 5% growth, down from around 5% in 2025. That might not sound like a big drop, but for China, it's a massive shift.
Monetary Policy
Just a few weeks ago, markets were confident the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates in 2026. Investors were pricing in a 70% probability of at least one rate cut by June. Wall Street analysts were telling clients to expect lower rates by summer. That entire narrative just died. Markets
Monetary Policy
The Bank of England held interest rates at 3.75% on March 19, and on the surface that sounds like nothing changed. But look closer at what the market is doing, and you see a completely different story. Investors are now pricing in four quarter point rate hikes by the
Explainers
There's a narrow strip of water between Iran and Oman that most Americans have never heard of. It's 21 miles wide at its narrowest point. And right now, it's controlling the price of almost everything you buy. It's called the Strait of
Explainers
You've probably seen headlines about private credit funds freezing withdrawals. Investors can't get their money out. People are panicking. But to understand why this is happening, you need to know how private credit actually works, because it's very different from a regular bank. When
Explainers
You might have seen the phrase "force majeure" in the news recently. Qatar declared it on their natural gas exports. Companies are invoking it left and right. But what does it actually mean, and why should you care? Force majeure is a fancy French legal term that basically
Explainers
You pull up to the gas station and see $3.53 a gallon. You want to scream. But where does that number actually come from? Let's break it down so you understand who's getting your money. About 56% of what you pay for gas goes to
Economic growth
The Federal Reserve has two jobs. Maximize employment and keep inflation at 2%. These are called the dual mandate, and right now, they're in direct conflict. That's why the Fed seems paralyzed. Let's break it down. Maximum employment means as many people working as
Economic Pulse
Gas prices have jumped 60 cents a gallon in less than three weeks. The national average is now $3.539, up from around $3.02 before the Iran war started on February 28. That's a 17% increase, and it's hitting people hard from coast to coast.
Economic growth
Remember when the government said the economy grew 1.4% in the last three months of 2025? Well, they just changed their mind. It actually only grew 0.7%. That's half what they originally reported, and it's a huge downward revision that puts the US economy