Alberto Matellán, General Manager of La Financière Responsable, explains that the market consensus now treats tariffs as part of the usual “tug of war” in negotiations, and generally expects that the worst-case scenarios will not materialize. In contrast, U.S. debt and its sustainability have become “one of the most significant concerns” for investors, serving as “a clearer indicator” of investor sentiment.
Uncertainty still clouds the horizon as the Eurozone heads into the second half of the year, showing only tentative signs of recovery.
The General Manager of La Financière Responsable, Alberto Matellán, sees signs of alarm in the US economy, which go beyond the tariff war and have been demonstrated in recent events such as the rise in the price of US bonds or the downgrading of its rating by Moody's. Specifically, he points to higher inflation and a decrease in consumer and business confidence, a combination that curbs investment.
The Spanish stock market is shining brightly once again. On Friday, May 16, the IBEX 35 broke through the psychological threshold of 14,000 points, a level not seen since 2008.
In the investment landscape, there is a wide range of products whose main objective is to preserve capital.
The abrupt changes that occurred during the month of April have resulted in nearly flat returns in the major stock indices for the entire month, but they have brought about significant modifications in the way the global system operates.
The U.S. Federal Reserve decided to keep its benchmark interest rates unchanged at the 4.25% to 4.50% range for the third consecutive meeting.
The tone of stock markets has been downward over the last two months, weighed down by fear of the effects of a possible tariff war and other tough-line measures by Donald Trump, but the situation shows signs of some stabilization and even moderate upturns have been seen in the most recent sessions.
In recent weeks, international markets have faced their most challenging period since 2020. In a situation marked by surging volatility, emotions like fear take center stage in the minds of many investors, and market movements shift from linear to exponential. Such situations, although not frequent, do tend to recur periodically, and it’s important not to get swept up in the negative atmosphere or act impulsively with a short-term mindset, as the experts at MAPFRE remind us.