Stocks finished mixed, and 1-year inflation expectations appear to be coiling, with a bullish-looking flag of their own, suggesting higher inflation may be on the way.

Stocks continued to ride the hopeful sentiment of a ceasefire at the start of last week, with all three averages advancing. The S&P 500 has recouped all its losses since the start of the war.

Easing geopolitical tensions and weaker pricing power support a limited inflation impact, while stronger Japanese machinery orders point to resilient growth and a plausible April policy hike.

The possibility of more violence and a potential oil shortage have raised the cost of crude, lifted interest rates and sent stocks south just as the Nasdaq could have posted its 14th consecutive gain.

Global equity markets have been driven to a great extent by the AI capex-fueled tech rally over the last three years. Until recently, there was not much differentiation between the Hardware and Software sectors of the Tech industry.

Investors today are grappling with heightened global tensions, rising oil prices and uncertainty around central bank policy. The key question is whether these risks meaningfully alter the economic outlook or simply create short-term volatility.

There are many things happening at once, which is creating a fair amount of confusion in the market. If financial conditions don't tighten, then the stock market can rebound.

Investors looked past comments from Fed Chair Powell that inflation expectations "appear to be well anchored beyond the short term" despite concerns over the Middle East conflict's potential inflationary effects.

US payrolls surprised but remain volatile, the UK faces weak demand and steady rates, and Japan’s upbeat business sentiment highlights resilience amid global uncertainty.

The back-and-forth between the President and Iran is highly relevant to markets, yet there is a perceptible change in investor perception