Vladimir Putin’s hero and his namesake, Vladimir Lenin, once said that there are decades where nothing happens; and there are weeks when decades happen. This is, indeed, the zeitgeist of 2025, when investors, politicians, partners, and foes are all desperate to decipher how the US administration’s moves and announcements might affect economies and relationships.
Investor sentiment can turn on a dime; all that is needed is one social media post by the US president. For now, however, economic and oil prospects are increasingly cloudy. US allies and foes are uncertain in their response to the disruptive agenda of the administration, but US consumers are not so hesitant.
In the absence of any clear pathway forward on global economic growth or supply prospects and given the disruptive and unpredictable nature of the US administration the market does what is the most reasonable thing to do under the circumstances: react to headlines.
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