Han Dieperink

The spectacular rally in Japanese equities appears to be over after many years of strong gains. Following years of underweight positioning, global investors have finally turned their attention to Japanese stocks, spurred by a recent aversion to U.S. equities—just as momentum is beginning to fade.

The question of how best to incorporate bitcoin into an investment portfolio is becoming increasingly relevant. As the digital currency gains mainstream acceptance, investors grapple with the practical considerations: should you buy crypto directly, or opt for traditional financial instruments?

The US dollar has experienced a spectacular decline in recent months. Investors call it a correction, analysts see a turning point, and pessimists even predict the end of dollar hegemony. But let’s pause for a moment. While the dollar is indeed falling rapidly, it is far from collapsing.

Last Friday, it finally happened: Moody’s—the last credit rating agency still holding on to a shred of faith in Uncle Sam—downgraded the United States from AAA to Aa1. America is now officially among the ranks of “almost-but-not-quite-perfect” countries. It’s a bit like a high school student going from a 10 to a 9.5—still excellent, but mom and dad are disappointed nonetheless.

One fascinating espionage technique during the Cold War was the “sleeper mole.” These were Soviet agents who operated inconspicuously in the West for years—sometimes even decades—awaiting activation. To avoid being recognized as communists, these moles had to cultivate the opposite image. In the eyes of Soviet strategists, the perfect cover? An extreme capitalist: someone who lines his house with gold, plasters his name in gold letters on buildings, and constantly boasts about wealth and success.

Investing is a game of mistakes; the one who makes the fewest mistakes wins. In that sense, investing has more in common with soccer than one might initially think. And that’s exactly what made Johan Cruyff so uniquely suited to share his genius—with insights both on and off the field—with investors.

The prospect of foreign investors reducing their exposure to U.S. assets due to concerns about the dominance of U.S. Treasuries as a safe haven is fueling discussions about the very concept of a safe haven. Significant shifts in correlations between various asset classes, particularly between U.S. equities and the dollar, are at the heart of this debate.

As we approach the milestone of President Donald Trump’s first one hundred days back in the White House, it is time to assess the impact his administration has had on both policy and markets.

Following Donald Trump’s “Liberation Day,” investors are grappling with a fundamental question: Is a trading order possible that is less dependent on the United States? Or are we on the brink of a new Great Depression, as some doomsayers suggest?

In the 1980s, Ronald Reagan became known for his hardline stance against the Soviet Union—a strategy that ultimately contributed to the end of the Cold War. Today, we see Donald Trump adopting a similarly confrontational approach, but this time on the economic battlefield.