Uncertainty Lingers

Despite escalating global economic uncertainty—driven in large part by US tariff policies—equity markets have, until recently, continued to surge, seemingly shrugging off risks that would typically provoke caution. This disconnect has grown more conspicuous in the wake of last week’s downgrade by Moody’s of the US sovereign debt outlook, which underscored mounting concerns over fiscal sustainability. In our charts this week we focus on:

• Markets and uncertainty
• Growth surprises and stocks
• Regional growth surprises
• US financial conditions
• Japan's portfolio flows
• Asia's energy demand