Amid a mixed bag of US corporate earnings and a strong jobs report fueling rate hike expectations, global markets face contrasting fortunes, highlighting the complexity of forecasting economic trends in a time of technological growth and geopolitical uncertainty.

Last week saw a notable upswing in global equities, driven by optimism over a potential economic stimulus in China and dubious results in corporate earnings.

Risk assets broadly declined last week as economic data showed resilience and central banks pushed back against aggressive market pricing for rate cuts, puncturing investor hopes.

Despite a higher-than-expected rise in US CPI for December 2022, markets remained relatively sanguine over the implications for growth and monetary policy.

After outsized gains in big tech stocks last year, global equities have stumbled over the past week amidst a tech selloff, challenging the notion of their invulnerability and potentially signaling a shift in market optimism tied to recent liquidity trends.

This week started with more optimism about the US economy and further stock market gains until a sharp pullback on Wednesday snapped the US market’s nine-session winning streak. Thursday then saw a recovery, putting the S&P 500 back on track for an eighth week of gains, after US inflation data showed a gradual economic cooling in line with Fed hopes.