Howard Financial Planning Ltd

03/08/2026

WeekWatch - Feeling the heat

https://www.howardfinancialplanning.co.uk/article/detail/sjpp/weekwatch-03-08-2026.html

20/07/2026

WeekWatch - AI volatility and higher energy fears dominate sentiment

The UK’s incremental 0.1% economic growth in May was unexpected but welcome. A rebound from the contraction in April, it was also ahead of consensus expectations. The key driver was the services sector, which accounts for the bulk of the domestic economy. The performance here was driven by researc...

13/07/2026

WeekWatch - Germany auto industry at a crossroads

The famous Peking Duck found itself at the centre of an international row last week, as the EU launched an anti-dumping investigation into imports of the bird from China.

06/07/2026

WeekWatch - June’s US jobs report shock

June’s US jobs report, released just before markets closed for the 4th July holiday, raised quite a few eyebrows. 57,000 new jobs were created in the month, well short of the 113,000 estimate. The hospitality and leisure sectors lost jobs, at odds with expectations the FIFA World Cup would provide...

15/06/2026

WeekWatch - Markets jump in US-Iran framework

The US and Iran have agreed on a framework peace agreement, announced late on Sunday and due to be signed later this week. The memorandum of understanding, which sent markets soaring on Monday morning, should see the immediate toll-free opening of the Strait of Hormuz.

02/06/2026

WeekWatch - S&P hits double digit returns since start of Iran war

S&P registers double digit returns Increasing hopes that a deal between the US and Iran might finally be reached and continued AI optimism helped push US markets to new highs last week.

18/05/2026

WeekWatch - UK gilt struggles continue

UK government bond yields continued rising last week, as UK government leadership challenges and international questions increasingly weighed on investor minds.

11/05/2026

WeekWatch: Local elections move bond markets

Following bruising local election results, media reports have been awash with gossip around the prime minister Keir Starmer’s future. Judging by the UK bond market, however, lenders appear to prefer the stability of continuity over the uncertainty of a leadership challenge – at least for now.

05/05/2026

WeekWatch - Equities surge as investors look through risks

The S&P 500 and Nasdaq ended the week at record highs. Despite a spike in energy prices, market sentiment remained upbeat, supported by a strong corporate earnings season and positive AI newsflow.

28/04/2026

WeekWatch - US markets continue to rise despite ongoing US-Iran 'tug of war'

Upbeat sentiment towards technology and AI, together with another strong week of corporate earnings supported US markets. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite indices rose to new highs. Almost one third of companies in the S&P 500 have so far reported first quarter earnings, with the proportion reportin...