Ample liquidity supports risk taking [Video]

Ipek Ozkardeskaya Swissquote Bank Ltd

The year is racing ahead, and markets are feeling every bump. Oil swung wildly last week after the U.S. operation in Venezuela, with Exxon saying the country was “un-investable” — only for Trump to push back. Energy ETFs fluctuated near record highs, crude tested key technical levels, but bullish bets remain historically low.

Meanwhile, Jerome Powell faces Justice Department scrutiny over Fed HQ renovations — though the real story is interest rates, not floors and ceilings.

December’s U.S. jobs data was mixed, but equities shrugged off early hawkish worries as liquidity flow remains interesting for risk takers.

If the Fed can’t follow economic data and inflation picks up, investors need assets that protect against rising prices: gold, commodities, inflation-linked bonds, dividend-paying stocks, and tech.

Author

Ipek Ozkardeskaya

Swissquote Bank Ltd

Ipek Ozkardeskaya began her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked in HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high-net-worth clients.

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