Anticipate Turbulence
The market has spoken. Fears over AI and high oil prices have shaken stockmarkets this week. It was not unexpected.
US Bonds vs Equities since 1973

While the AI stocks have come under pressure, the market isn’t down much, at least not yet. More importantly, bonds have rallied. This is good news because it implies that investors still seek sanctuary in bonds when things go wrong. It means a full-blown bond crisis is now less likely than we feared a few months ago.
US Bonds vs Equities - Past Year

Within the stockmarket, the rotation has been monumental. Safe quality stocks with low volatility have rallied, while speculative, high-beta stocks have been hit.
Low Volatility vs High Beta

The price of oil seems to be well underpinned, which worries investors because it will negatively impact growth. Gold is under pressure. I hope you saw my latest Atlas Pulse, which looks into this in more detail. Gold is vulnerable in the short term, but the longer-term case seems to be well underpinned.
Gold and Oil

General - Your capital is at risk when you invest, never risk more than you can afford to lose. Past performance and forecasts are not reliable indicators of future results. Bid/offer spreads, commissions, fees and other charges can reduce returns from investments. There is no guarantee dividends will be paid. Overseas shares - Some recommendations may be denominated in a currency other than sterling. The return from these may increase or decrease as a result of currency fluctuations. Any dividends will be taxed at source in the country of issue.
Funds - Fund performance relies on the performance of the underlying investments, and there is counterparty default risk which could result in a loss not represented by the underlying investment. Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) with derivative exposure (leveraged or inverted ETFs) are highly speculative and are not suitable for risk-averse investors.
Bonds - Investing in bonds carries interest rate risk. A bondholder has committed to receiving a fixed rate of return for a fixed period. If the market interest rate rises from the date of the bond's purchase, the bond's price will fall. There is also the risk that the bond issuer could default on their obligations to pay interest as scheduled, or to repay capital at the maturity of the bond.
Taxation - Profits from investments, and any profits from converting cryptocurrency back into fiat currency is subject to capital gains tax. Tax treatment depends on individual circumstances and may be subject to change.
Investment Director: Charlie Morris. Editors or contributors may have an interest in recommendations. Information and opinions expressed do not necessarily reflect the views of other editors/contributors of ByteTree Group Ltd. ByteTree Asset Management (FRN 933150) is an Appointed Representative of Strata Global Ltd (FRN 563834), which is regulated by the Financial Conduct Authority.
© 2026 ByteTree Group Ltd