When being the 1% was something to brag about

Rising US interest rates and a slowing China hit gold prices.

Early in the week, markets notched steady gains as investors awaited key economic indicators and monitored ongoing trade discussions. Megacap tech names—particularly AI chipmakers—led the broader market higher, as sentiment stayed bullish on prospects for a U.S.-China trade deal.

Despite the dollar’s recent weakness, the structural advantages of deep and liquid US financial markets, its dominant role in trade invoicing and as a monetary anchor, are sustaining its primary reserve currency status.

An Italian departure from EU would be more traumatic than Brexit