IBAFIN

The US thematic baskets are experiencing a reversal in trade, with the broader market down 15 basis points. The iShares MSCI USA IWM and Invesco QQQ ETFs are on track for their worst session of the year, down 1.7%. Meanwhile, the UBS US 7 ETF (UBXXMAG7) is a big winner, up 1.4%, ahead of earnings…

Storm clouds are gathering once again for Oracle Corporation (ORCL) as Morgan Stanley (MS) has downgraded the company’s stock from Overweight to Equal Weight. This move comes after a period of stability for the tech giant, which had seen its shares rise significantly over the past year. But what does this downgrade mean for the…

The US treasury market saw some interesting movements today, with the belly of the curve leading the way. The 10-year maturity was trading at 4.2565%, which is a notable increase from yesterday’s close. This led to underperformance by European government bonds (EGBs), as investors became more risk-averse due to recent economic data releases. The US…

As we enter 2026, market observers are noticing a renewed pattern of increased activity in the most volatile small-cap stocks. According to a recent report from Societe Generale (Soc Gen), roughly 75% of options volume is now concentrated in these highly unpredictable names, indicating that retail investors continue to play a significant role in shaping…

Retail investors are once again showing a strong interest in gold, with flows into the SPDR Gold Trust (GLD) reaching levels not seen since 2012. According to data from JPMorgan, retail investors accounted for 75% of GLD’s inflows in January alone, with a total of $1.3 billion invested in the fund. This surge in demand…

The recent outperformance of the Russell 2000 relative to the S&P 500 has been impressive, with the former rallying over 9% in just 14 days. This is the fourth longest streak in 35 years, and it’s worth examining what could drive this momentum in the medium-term. Firstly, there’s the possibility of retail demand slowing down…

The KOSPI index has been on a tear lately, ripping through its steep trend channel and reaching fresh all-time highs (ATHs) overnight. The momentum is stretched to the extreme, with the 21-day moving average (MA) miles below spot and the 50-day MA even further out of sight. But what does this mean for investors? Is…

European duration saw a significant sell-off on Wednesday, driven primarily by syndicated supply from Austria, Finland, and Cyprus. The improvement in risk sentiment following US President Trump’s speech had limited impact on duration, while country spreads rebounded by around 1.5 basis points in BTP-Bund. OATs continued to outperform, with a 1 basis point advantage over…

Positioning is a critical aspect of risk management that is often overlooked by traders and investors. Recent data suggests that the trading community, including both households and professionals, has added significant risk to their portfolios. This is evident in the increased exposure to single stocks and index futures, as well as the overall gross and…