Mendum Wealth Management
of RBC Dominion Securities

The Middle East conflict has thrust energy markets into crisis. While diplomatic overtures have offered a glimmer of de-escalation, military buildups and strikes persist. We look at evolving strife, market risks ahead, and lessons history offers.

The FOMC, BoC, BoE, ECB, RBA, and BoJ held policy meetings this week amid uncertainty caused by the Middle East crisis. While policymakers acknowledged that uncertainty, markets increasingly believe central banks may need to tighten policy rates.

The U.S. central bank wields a powerful hammer with its ability to move interest rates. Despite its strength, though, we think the central bank is poorly suited to address key concerns arising from high oil prices and the rollout of AI.

With the Middle East gripped in an acute crisis, it’s worth examining how prior military conflicts and significant geopolitical events impacted the U.S. stock market—and what history suggests for investors today.