Tariff uncertainty trumped by geopolitics

Chris Beauchamp IG

Geopolitical tensions continue to drive markets into a risk-off frame of mind, says Chris Beauchamp, Chief Market Analyst at investing and trading platform IG.

FTSE 100 steady despite tariff drama & geopolitical uncertainty

Investors looking for a safe haven from tariff madness and worries about Iran could do a lot worse than the FTSE 100 right now. The index seems impervious to worries about US trade policy and the potential for a US-Iran conflict, holding steady today while US stocks fall back. Friday’s initial bounce following the court decision has given way to caution, as the administration attempts to pivot seamlessly to new tariff weapons while also doing their best to panic investors about the rule of law in the US with some spicy Truth Social posts.

Iran fears drive VIX, Gold and Oil higher

The panic-trade trinity of gold, oil and the VIX made a return to our screens today, all three rising as social media filled up with fresh updates on US deployments to the Middle East and reports emerging from all sides in the region. With Nvidia’s earnings this week only expected to see a 4% move in the stock, it seems the geopolitical situation remains the chief driver for the time being.

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Chris Beauchamp

EUR/USD gains traction to near 1.1800 as tariff uncertainty weighs on US Dollar

The EUR/USD pair holds positive ground around 1.1795 during the early Asian session on Tuesday. The US Dollar weakens against the Euro amid US tariff uncertainty. The release of the US January Producer Price Index report will be in the spotlight later on Friday.

GBP/USD treads water near 1.3500 as BoE-Fed divergence debate stalls

GBP/USD spent Monday spinning in place as market participants await a fresh catalyst to break the pair out of its recent range. The BoE's February hold came with a surprisingly dovish 5-4 split, and UK Consumer Price Index data last week showed inflation easing to 3.0%, reinforcing the case for earlier rate cuts, with most economists now looking to April or March for the next move.

Gold down but not out as key $5,140 support holds

Gold consolidates the advance to monthly top of $5,250 in Tuesday’s Asian trades. The US Dollar finds demand as liquidity returns and risk sentiment recovers, despite US tariffs uncertainty. Gold defends 61.8% Fibo resistance at $5,142 amid the pullback, daily RSI remains bullish.

Top Crypto Losers: BCH, HYPE, PUMP extend losses as Bitcoin drops below $64,000

Altcoins, including Bitcoin Cash, Hyperliquid, and Pump.fun, are leading losses over the last 24 hours as Bitcoin falls below $64,000 on Tuesday. The technical outlook for BCH, HYPE, and PUMP flags downside risk amid broader market selling.

Supreme Court nixes tariffs, Trump teases 15% global tariff

On February 20th, the Supreme Court ruled that Trump’s global tariffs under IEEPA authority were unconstitutional, effectively nullifying the framework. However, the relief was short-lived. Within hours, Trump floated a 15% blanket tariff under an alternative legal authority.

XRP recovers slightly as bearish sentiment dominates crypto market

Ripple is rising above $1.40 at the time of writing on Monday amid fresh tariff-triggered headwinds in the broader cryptocurrency market. The sell-off to $1.33, the token’s intraday low, can be attributed to macroeconomic uncertainty, geopolitical tensions and risk-averse sentiment among other factors.