Oil trades on screens as flows collapse at sea
The Strait of Hormuz crisis is not only a price shock, but a rupture between paper markets and physical supply.
Author
Matěj Široký
Hormuz disruption: the hidden market shock
A blockade of the Strait of Hormuz not only halts oil flows from the Persian Gulf, but also disrupts less visible commodities. A q…
Le Pen’s movement stalls at the gates of the big cities
France’s municipal elections have shed new light on the political landscape ahead of the 2027 presidential race, with the old mast…
Markets shrug off Iran war, but bonds flash warning
While equities remain calm, the bond market is already signalling rising concerns over US debt.
Oil sets the tone, gold falls, bitcoin holds steady – something is out of place in the market
The war is escalating, central banks are holding back and equity markets are pricing in peace. Yet gold is falling against expecta…
France’s red line
Reproductive progressivism is hitting its limits. Opposition to surrogacy has united conservatives and feminists in France.
The business of motherhood
Surrogacy is turning the desire for a child into a cold business in which body, time and pain are bought and sold. Around the worl…
Central banks face inflation dilemma as oil shock deepens
The protracted conflict continues to push up commodity prices. The Fed has adopted a wait-and-see attitude, Australia is already t…
Oil at $130 would signal a looming systemic crisis
There is no doubt that the most closely watched chart on the financial market right now is the oil price chart. The markets are wo…
Iran's 47-year war against the West
Wars do not start overnight. The US strike on Iran is the culmination of decades of escalating tensions and will probably deepen i…
When the death of a dictator is not enough
Anatomy of failure: the West overthrew Gaddafi without a plan for Libya’s future. It thus left the oil-rich country to other playe…
Oil prices threaten US president Trump's war with Iran
An oil price at $120 per barrel is problematic for Donald Trump. As soon as the price reaches that level again, the US president w…
Oil as a weapon: Iran puts pressure on the West through the global economy
The oil shock from Iran is once again raising fears of inflation. The smoldering private debt crisis is contributing to a perfect …
The end of the liberal illusion
The American liberal order is collapsing. If the West is to endure, it must seek not salvation in utopia but a sober revision of i…
A two-speed Europe: Orbán’s lone strategy
The bitter truth is that the European Union as a whole cannot be reformed. Today even Europe’s leaders recognise that they cannot …
The Oil Curtain: how the Druzhba pipeline divides Europe more than borders
The shutdown of the southern branch of the Druzhba oil pipeline has revealed that today's geopolitical dividing lines do not follo…
War in Iran: strong dollar, weak Europe and nervous Asian markets
Investors appear increasingly accustomed to geopolitical shocks. US markets respond with brief sell-offs and a stronger dollar, Eu…
Oil prices rise after attack on Iran – still far from historic highs
Iran does not even need to declare a formal blockade of the Strait of Hormuz or attempt to mine it. Shipping traffic through the n…
Markets grow uneasy over duration and scope of Gulf conflict
The extent of the market impact depends on two unknowns: the duration of the escalating conflict in the Gulf and how many countrie…
The beginning of the end in Ukraine and Russia’s battle of narratives
Should the guns fall silent, another battle will begin. As the world argues over who won, Russia will claim victory. A harsher dem…
The myth of Western unity: America will retain its influence while Europe loses ground
The war in Ukraine has exposed an uncomfortable truth. The old continent is no longer a decisive global actor. Without serious sel…
AI disruption, tariff uncertainty and debt risks – markets face a new stress test
AI compresses margins, tariff uncertainty persists and private credit risks grow as markets enter a new phase of stress.
The artificial intelligence imperative: humanity must adapt
While parts of the media portray AI as an unstoppable force destined to overwhelm society, financial markets tell a different stor…
Trump’s trade war hits constitutional limits – White House under pressure
Last week’s key development for global markets was a landmark ruling by the US Supreme Court that curtailed the president’s use of…
Japan’s debt gamble
Japan's debt cannot be repaid. Prime Minister Takaichi refuses to make cuts and is increasing pressure. Could this trigger a globa…
Japan’s rally is driven by defence and a weak yen
Japan is showing renewed momentum. The bet on defence and a weaker yen is beginning to pay off, but investors must keep a close ey…
Lagarde denied leaving the ECB - the markets remain unimpressed
This week confirmed that the main center of economic and financial activity lies outside European markets.
Soft landing and strong doubts. Microsoft and Amazon are losing their luster
Gold weakens without news, inflation falls, confidence wanes. Disorientation is the new volatility.
The European gas equation
Today, the price of gas determines both the bills and the stability of the old continent. After the collapse of the Russian model,…
Cold days, profitable deals. Three ways to get into gas investments
Gas is a bet on the weather, logistics, and investors' nerves. All it takes is a mild winter and the market changes direction.
How to protect children? Good intentions, irreversible system
When everyone agrees, it's time to pay attention. Even when it comes to protecting children.
Schizophrenia on Wall Street
Markets oscillate between euphoria and fear, as if they have lost their compass. Capital vacillates between dreams of artificial i…
Time as the biggest investment risk
Magnificent Seven has weakened by four percent since the beginning of 2026, and the story of artificial intelligence is changing f…
Dedollarization without collapse
The dollar remains a pillar of US power, but dedollarization is still progressing. Paradoxically, a weaker US currency may help wi…
The end of American exceptionalism? China is getting richer, the US is getting poorer
American hegemony is coming to an end, China's rise is accelerating, but it has internal limits. It is no longer just about power,…
Why does the West look away when minorities bleed?
The organization SOS Chrétiens d’Orient was founded in 2013 in response to the escalation of war in Syria and Iraq, but today it c…
Gold panics, bitcoin falls, and artificial intelligence begins to hurt
This week's mood on the markets shows how tension is rising. Danger always looms when there is a lot going on on the stock exchang…
Was there a mistake in the casting? Who is the man who is to lead the Fed?
Is Trump's nomination of Kevin Warsh as Fed chair a calculated move or just a show of force that could risk global markets?
Significant sell-offs on the markets: prices of gold, silver, bitcoin, and Microsoft shares fell
A chain reaction has started in the markets. Silver has fallen by tens of percent, gold has lost almost a tenth of its value, and …
The World Economic Forum after Schwab: the return of the elites without pretense
In Davos, Larry Fink openly named the elites, the loss of trust, and why artificial intelligence is changing the rules of power.
What will the new architecture of financial power look like?
Bitcoin is not currently seen as an alternative capable of replacing the US dollar, but stablecoins may bring prosperity to a cert…
European luxury goods are under pressure. They are threatened by US tariffs and weak demand from China.
When luxury goods are doing well, Europe looks confident. But this time, that's not the case. LVMH's results showed a decline in b…
The great silver ride continues
More than 60 percent of total demand for silver comes from industry. Primarily from the production of solar panels, electromobilit…
Iran's resilient economy is not thriving due to sanctions
Despite its limitations, a new social class of young educated people is emerging in the country. Iran ranks fifth in the world in …
Oil that flows quietly
US sanctions have not stopped the flow of Iranian oil, but they have changed its form. Oil is flowing at a discount and to a limit…
Wall Street is becoming America's Achilles heel
The Trump administration sees another risk besides the New York Stock Exchange. The Japanese will probably no longer need to buy U…
BlackRock, Trump, and markets that don't have weekends
Trump moves markets even over the weekend: tariffs, Greenland, and a nervous Europe. While Europe weakens, American banks led by B…
Wall Street is like a ballot box
American stocks are not just a market. They are a political indicator that shapes the decisions of the US president.
America is on a diet that doesn't work
In 2015, Donald Trump promised to reduce debt within eight years. Instead, it has doubled to $38 trillion. Cheap energy and tariff…
How Central Europe is learning to build corporations again. The story of Czechoslovak Group
Michal Strnad's arms holding company is entering the Amsterdam stock exchange. This is an opportunity for the Czech Republic and S…