Christopher Smart, PhD CFA

What's on your list? (Link in the comments.)

Looking forward to one of the most interesting conferences on the circuit. #AIMSummitLondon2026 #Geopolitics #Markets

As always, @JMathieuReports asks the right questions as the markets unravel and the news from the Middle East darkens. After admitting to early optimism on when the Strait of Hormuz could reopen, we discussed how an unrepentant #Iran could harass oil shipments indefinitely. We then moved on to how and why #Russia and #China may draw strategic and economic benefits from the crisis. bloomberg.com/news/videos/20… @BloombergTV #BalanceofPower

Geopolitical risk v. oil prices. This may be the only chart you need to monitor next week. More than anything else, the markets will be responding to Iranian attacks on Gulf oil infrastructure, Israeli attacks on Iranian leaders and posts on Truth Social. Beyond whatever surprises the Middle East may bring, don’t forget these scheduled events investors will be watching: #Geopolitics #MarketingStrategy #InvestmentRisks

There’s a price for everything! bloomberg.com/news/articles/…

The Unintended Winners and Losers of the War In Iran barrons.com/articles/the-u… via @BarronsOnline

President Donald Trump and his team have been busy tallying their wins in Iran. They say the U.S. has taken out more than 100 Iranian vessels, decimated Iran’s supply of ballistic missile launchers, and destroyed military targets on Kharg Island. But their narrow military assessment leaves out the broader, unintended consequences of the war. The truth is that each week of fighting is a blow to America’s allies and a gift to Russia and China.... My latest in Barron's. #Geopolitics #Markets #Iran The Unintended Winners and Losers of the War In Iran barrons.com/articles/the-u… via @BarronsOnline

A reminder for those of us in the world of policy and ideas. Very few trends, even in demographics, continue unalterably in a straight line. wapo.st/4bBDN5o

Monetary Policy from Greek Heroes open.substack.com/pub/leadingtho…

The Fed faces a third monster, call it Typhon. Legal challenges to the Fed's independence threaten the entire institutional order Jerome Powell is trying to protect. Neither Powell nor his likely successor Kevin Warsh are mythological heroes — but the decisions ahead sure look heroic.

But steer too hard away from inflation and you sail into Charybdis — the deflationary whirlpool. February's U.S. jobs report showed -92K jobs. Private credit markets are flashing defaults and redemption requests. And AI is either destroying jobs or about to implode as an overhyped bubble. 4/5

Monetary Policy from Greek Heroes open.substack.com/pub/leadingtho… Central bankers meet this week — BoC & Fed on Wed, BoJ, BoE & ECB on Thu — and headlines will call it boring. But the dangers they're navigating rival anything from Greek mythology. A thread 🧵

Pro-tip: Don’t time the release from your strategic reserves with tankers burning in the Gulf…

Note to self: Don’t announce the largest release from strategic oil reserves in history a amid news videos of burning tankers in the Gulf. wsj.com/video/watch-ta…

They know silver linings when they see them...

Thanks @emilycnbc for a great conversation on the continued efforts by the U.S. and China to reduce their dependence on one another. #Geopolitics #Finance #China cnb.cx/4smemeC

Just a reminder that Iran is a large and sophisticated country. If you glance at the bonus chart below from our friends at Al Jazeera, you will also note that it’s a highly urban and educated country. It looks all but certain that Iran is about to lose its military capabilities soon, but everything else about its future is up in the air. Next week, when investors are not staring hard at reports of missile attacks on oil infrastructure, they will be watching this: