Latest Irish Life weekly markets update

Key talking points include:

• Global markets made strong gains on the week as investors responded favourably to the Trump administration’s decision to delay the implementation of some tariffs which eased concerns over international trade. The S&P 500 climbed above the record high that it had set seven weeks earlier.
• The S&P 500 rallied by 1.7% (MTD 3.8%, YTD 3.8%) while the Euro Stoxx 600 rose by 1.2% (MTD 4.5%, YTD 4.5%).
• This week, focus is set to be on the Fed (Wednesday) and ECB (Thursday) rate decisions and any forward guidance, as well as numerous activity measures including GDP, retail sales and durable goods. Q4 earnings and 2025 guidance will also be of interest, with Microsoft, Meta, Apple, Amazon and Tesla all reporting.