Navigating the new market reality of volatility and divergence

THE global financial landscape has entered a period of pronounced turbulence.

As at late March, US equities have endured their longest losing streak since 2022, with the S&P 500 declining 8.2 per cent over eight weeks and the VIX volatility index surging to its highest level in nearly a year, although market fears have eased significantly in April.

The immediate catalyst – the escalating conflict in the Middle East – has been compounded by mounting anxieties over the health of the world’s largest economy.