Next week’s market feels like it’s about to start choosing a direction again 👀

Last week, Risk-on clearly returned. The US stock market kept strengthening, with AI, tech, and semiconductors taking the baton again.

But next week, I’m mainly watching three things:

1️⃣ Strait of Hormuz

Negotiations on shipping between Iran and Oman have already made some progress, but “agreeing on a route” ≠ “fully restoring navigation.”

What really matters is whether ships start coming back.

Better shipping → lower oil geo-premium → easing inflation pressure → Risk-on

And if talks fall apart again:

Oil / XAU could be in play once more, and BTC and US stocks may keep benefiting from geopolitical developments.

2️⃣ FOMC Minutes

Last time, there were already 3 votes in support of a rate hike.

This time, what’s most worth watching in the minutes isn’t simply “whether there will be a hike,” but:

How many people are still hawkish?

Recently, inflation data has cooled somewhat, and market expectations for a rate hike in September have also dropped.

3️⃣ PMI

On Friday, I’ll be watching the US manufacturing and services PMI.

If the data is weak → expectations that the Fed will stay put in September become more stable.

If the data is too strong → rate-hike trade could return.

So next week, my script is pretty simple:

Oil: watch the Strait of Hormuz
Gold: watch the Fed
US stocks: watch AI + interest rates
BTC: watch all three 😂

Lately, Risk-on has returned,

but this week might be the real key to whether the trend can keep running.