Sovereign Intel

Macro & Geopolitical Intelligence

US close Mon 24 Aug | ASX close Tue 25 Aug ยท 20:32 AEST
Bottom Line (15 sec)
Markets Snapshot
S&P 500
7,652.86 (-0.28%)
Nasdaq 100
25,980.19 (-0.76%)
SOX (Semis)
11,423.17 (-2.70%)
VIX (Fear)
15.88 (+0.19%)
ASX 200
9,164.60 (+0.68%)
KOSPI
6,742.74 (+0.68%)
Brent Crude
$87.99 (-4.54%)
Gold (Spot)
$4,693.60 (+1.14%)
Fed & Rates

Current: 3.50% - 3.75% | Next FOMC: Sep 16 | Chair: Kevin Warsh

The July FOMC (9-3 vote) cemented the hawkish regime. Three dissents for a hike + Warsh's explicit push to "deliver price stability" indicates a committee ready to tighten if inflation persists. Markets are pricing a 61% probability of a Sep hike.

Implication: Growth stock multiples remain under pressure as the "Fed Put" is officially off. Bond yields (10Y at 4.70%) reflect a higher-for-longer baseline.

RBA & AU Economy

Current: 4.35% | Next Meeting: Sep 29 | AU CPI: 3.8% (June)

RBA held in August but maintained a "patient but vigilant" posture. While CBA/Westpac forecast holds through 2026, the ASX Rate Tracker (Isaac Gross) shows a 0% probability of cuts before 2027. AUD/USD trading at 0.7153.

Property: National values down 0.7% (July). Sydney (-1.4%) and Melbourne (-1.2%) leading the rout. Mid-sized capitals (Brisbane -0.6%) have officially peaked.

Iran War โ€” Day 179

Status: Qualitative shift to Economic Warfare. The Islamabad Memorandum is effectively dead. US Naval Blockade remains in force; Iran continues to contest Hormuz with "shadow tolls" and drone harassment.

Brent-WTI Spread: $5.53. Breaking back above the $5 threshold signals a renewed maritime risk premium. Houthi attacks on Saudi Red Sea infrastructure (Yanbu hub) have created a "Two-Chokepoint" crisis (Hormuz + Bab el-Mandeb).

Portfolio Snapshot (NABTrade US)
Symbol Price Day % A$ Value P&L %
AVGO$358.76-2.63%$5,517-15.2%
META$559.02+1.66%$14,067-7.68%
MSFT$487.31+0.84%$20,438+18.9%
RDDT$152.70-0.38%$14,730-5.19%
TSM$410.12-2.11%$7,454+2.51%
QQQU$55.10+0.07%$8,705-52.3%
CBRS$185.43-5.46%$4,925-37.8%
MU$910.43-5.83%$10,182+32.8%
TSXU$50.60-6.75%$778-90.9%

Total Portfolio (US): A$86,796 | Cost Basis: A$104,168 | P&L: -16.6%

What to Watch โ€” Next 24 Hours
  1. AU CPI (July): Tomorrow 11:30 AM AEST. Consensus 3.7%. A beat >3.9% makes the Sep RBA meeting a live hike event.
  2. NVIDIA (AH): Major semi catalyst for SOX and KOSPI; watching for Blackwell H100/B200 guidance.
  3. Iran Negotiations: Oman-mediated "Middle Corridor" talks; watch for Brent-WTI spread compression toward $4.