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This week's focus is on the impact of rising oil and energy prices in light of increasing tensions between Iran and the United States over the Strait of Hormuz. Add to this the damage to energy infrastructure in the Gulf region and the outlook for US energy companies such as Chevron could improve by mid-2026. In the meantime, the reporting season for the first quarter of 2026 has gotten off to a good start in the US, with 88% of S&P 500® companies reporting positive earnings surprises so far.

This week's case concerns cocoa, where there is potential for future prices to rise if the decline in inventories predicted by estimates is realised. These estimates are based on growing concerns about adverse weather conditions and production disruptions in the Ivory Coast and Ghana. From a broader view of the stock market, the strong US non-farm payroll figures released on Friday 5 June were followed by a sharp decline in US indices, particularly tech-related stocks.

This week we focus on the European Stoxx index, which may be able to recover some of its losses versus US equities since the start of the war in March - particularly in the AI sector - if the Strait of Hormuz reopens. Several well-known companies are represented in the Stoxx index, including ASML, LVMH, SAP and TotalEnergies.

Bitcoin made a remarkable comeback last week. Between August 17 and 21, the price rose by more than 20 percent, reaching around $79.500 at one point (Reuters, 08.2026). On August 25, Bitcoin even briefly surpassed the $80.000 mark. At the same time, U.S. spot Bitcoin ETFs, that is, exchange-traded funds that directly hold Bitcoin and are designed to track its price as closely as possible, recorded the strongest weekly inflow of the year, totaling approximately $1.9 billion (SoSoValue, 08.2026). At first glance, one might simply see this as a return of risk appetite. What is more interesting, however, is that several previously separate factors converged simultaneously: U.S. fiscal policy, regulatory developments, and institutional demand.

Commodity markets have been dominated by geopolitical factors in recent months. Looking ahead, the focus is likely to shift to fundamentals. The managers of the PP RM Dynamic Commodity Index gain a detailed understanding of the commodities market and, in doing so, implement a rule-based and diversified strategy and so far, their approach has paid off.

For individuals who invest in Knock-Out products such as Warrants with Knock-Out or Mini Futures, it is crucial to know when and under what conditions their product can be knocked out. But what many do not know: The trading times of the underlying asset play a decisive role here. If the underlying is not a share or an index, the trading times of the underlying and the product may diverge.

Reverse convertibles offer investors the opportunity to profit from sideways movements in the price of an underlying asset, usually a share. Similar to a bond, a reverse convertible features a coupon that is fixed at the time of issue and is generally paid out at the end of its term. The repayment of the nominal amount, on the other hand, depends on the performance of the underlying asset. A predetermined price level (strike price) is of decisive importance here. If the price is at or above the strike price at the end of the term, the investor will receive the nominal amount back. If the price is below the exercise price on the maturity date, the investor will be delivered units of the underlying with the settlement type “physical delivery”, the value of which will usually be less than the nominal amount. Alternatively, a cash settlement is also possible.

Mini Futures provide investors with the opportunity to participate disproportionately, leveraging a smaller capital investment, in the price movement of an underlying asset. Long Mini Futures allow for betting on rising prices, while Short Mini Futures enable wagering on falling prices. These products have an unlimited term unless prematurely terminated by reaching the stop-loss level. Additionally, a wide range of asset classes such as stocks, indices, commodities, precious metals, interest instruments, currency pairs, and cryptocurrencies are available.

Warrants with Knock-Out provide investors with a leveraged participation in the performance of a financial asset. The leverage effect arises from the fact that less capital is required compared to a direct investment. Investors can speculate on both rising and falling prices with less capital invested. Various asset classes such as stocks, indices, commodities, precious metals, interest instruments, or currency pairs are available.

Warrants enable investors to participate disproportionally in the performance of the underlying with less invested capital than a direct investment. If investors expect prices to rise, they can position themselves with a Call warrant. Put warrants are available if prices are expected to decline. Additionally, warrants have a fixed maturity and a strike price. Investors can choose from a wide range of different asset classes such as stocks, indices, commodities, precious metals and currency pairs.