Tariffs on MacWorks

Week 19 Summary

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Bloomberg — Week of 2026-04-18 to 2026-05-01#

Story of the Week#

A severe escalation in the US-Iran conflict effectively shuttered the Strait of Hormuz this week, prompting the United Arab Emirates to historically quit OPEC and sending Brent crude surging past $126 a barrel. President Donald Trump’s strict naval blockade and stalled peace talks have fueled a massive energy shock, pitting war-driven stagflation against the deflationary momentum of the global AI boom.

2026-05-01

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Sources

Bloomberg — 2026-05-01#

Lead Story#

US President Donald Trump is maintaining a strict naval blockade on Iran, driving a massive energy shock across the global economy as the Strait of Hormuz remains completely shut. The ongoing military standoff has propelled Brent crude past $126 a barrel, prompting Big Oil CEOs to warn of a supply “cliff’s edge” and forcing central banks worldwide to pivot back toward near-term rate hikes to combat resurging inflation. This twin dynamic of soaring fuel costs and geopolitical gridlock is increasingly clashing with the opposing deflationary and growth forces of the global AI boom, creating brutal crosscurrents for investors.

2026-05-08

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Sources

Bloomberg — 2026-05-08#

Lead Story#

US employers added 115,000 jobs in April, marking the first back-to-back monthly advance in nearly a year and keeping the unemployment rate steady at 4.3%. The resilient labor market data propelled US stocks to all-time highs, fueled by an 11% weekly surge in chipmakers, as investors largely shrugged off the inflationary risks of the ongoing conflict with Iran. However, wage growth moderated, and a separate gauge of US consumer sentiment plummeted to a fresh record low over relentless cost-of-living concerns.

Bloomberg

Mon, 01 Jan 0001 00:00:00 +0000

Bloomberg — Week of 2026-05-08 to 2026-05-15#

Story of the Week#

The geopolitical impasse between the US and Iran escalated significantly after President Trump rejected Tehran’s peace proposals as “totally unacceptable,” ensuring the continued blockade of the Strait of Hormuz. The resulting energy supply shock has driven global oil inventories down at a record pace and severely amplified inflation fears, pushing US consumer price growth to 3.8% and sending global bond yields to their highest levels since 2007. This dual shock of spiking energy costs and plummeting crude output sets up an immediate, critical test for newly confirmed Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh, as traders rapidly unwind expectations for near-term rate cuts.