Junior Finance Analyst, Steno Research

Ulrik Simmelholt

Junior Finance Analyst

Macro and Geopolitical Research House

Steno Research

Steno Research is a new macro and geopolitical research house. We are based out of Copenhagen, Denmark, but have an international team and a strong network of sources and partners around the world. The team is lead by Andreas Steno, previous global head of strategy at Nordea Bank, and Mikkel Rosenvold, former chief consultant in the Danish Ministry of Finance.

Macroeconomics

<ul><li>Let’s start with DeepSeek.</li><li>The trajectory toward singularity may be accelerating faster than previously forecasted.</li><li>With barriers to entry for AI development rapidly lowering and efficiency gains fueling greater demand rather than less, it seems inevitable that this trend will reshape the AI landscape.</li></ul>

Let’s start with DeepSeek.The trajectory toward singularity may be accelerating faster than previously forecasted.With barriers to entry for AI development rapidly lowering and efficiency gains fueling greater demand rather than less, it seems inevitable that this trend will reshape the AI landscape.

The Drill: The commoditization of AI is here

Commodities

Crude oil is a naturally occurring, unrefined petroleum product composed of hydrocarbon deposits and other organic materials. Crude oil can be refined to produce usable products such as gasoline, diesel and various forms of petrochemicals. It is a nonrenewable resource, also known as a fossil fuel, which means that it can't be replaced naturally at the rate we consume it and is therefore a limited resource.

<ul><li>Trump has signaled his intention to stop oil imports from Venezuela.</li><li>While these imports are relatively insignificant to the U.S., they are hugely significant to Venezuela.</li><li>Growing demand in China might help offset the impact, but if not, Venezuela could be facing more years of political turbulence.</li></ul>

Trump has signaled his intention to stop oil imports from Venezuela.While these imports are relatively insignificant to the U.S., they are hugely significant to Venezuela.Growing demand in China might help offset the impact, but if not, Venezuela could be facing more years of political turbulence.

<ul>
<li>Before we begin, let’s discuss the Trump tariffs, as he increasingly sounds serious about them.</li>
<li>His recent message on Truth Social suggests he is ready to roll out a series of initiatives next week, including those on trade, cryptocurrency, and a range of other topics.</li>
<li>Every counterpart we speak to expects Trump to take action over the course of his presidency but also anticipates him backing down if the market pushes back against tariffs with a stronger USD, higher bond yields, and weaker risk sentiment.</li>
</ul>


Before we begin, let’s discuss the Trump tariffs, as he increasingly sounds serious about them.
His recent message on Truth Social suggests he is ready to roll out a series of initiatives next week, including those on trade, cryptocurrency, and a range of other topics.
Every counterpart we speak to expects Trump to take action over the course of his presidency but also anticipates him backing down if the market pushes back against tariffs with a stronger USD, higher bond yields, and weaker risk sentiment.


The Drill: What if Trump is not bluffing ahead of next week?

<ul>
<li>Yesterday was a crazy day in FX and commodities as seen in chart 1.a. Within the span of 6 hours we had markets trading WaPo the rumour, then reacting to the pushback on the rumour from Trump and then markets calling Trump’s push back a bluff.</li>
<li>We conclude a couple of things from this.</li>
<li>Firstly, what we have been saying the last month ever since Trump’s first comments on Canadian tariffs, namely that this is a negotiation tactic to get what he really wants.</li>
</ul>


Yesterday was a crazy day in FX and commodities as seen in chart 1.a. Within the span of 6 hours we had markets trading WaPo the rumour, then reacting to the pushback on the rumour from Trump and then markets calling Trump’s push back a bluff.
We conclude a couple of things from this.
Firstly, what we have been saying the last month ever since Trump’s first comments on Canadian tariffs, namely that this is a negotiation tactic to get what he really wants.


The Drill: It’s an Omnishambles in the Tariff Talks

<ul><li>Happy Friday! Every week, we dive deep into macro trends, analyze asset movements, and uncover the best value plays in the world of macro.</li><li>These insights are shared with hedge funds and institutional clients, and each Friday, we’re bringing them directly to you.</li><li>While the macro landscape can be complex, we believe it doesn’t have to be intimidating.</li></ul>

Happy Friday! Every week, we dive deep into macro trends, analyze asset movements, and uncover the best value plays in the world of macro.These insights are shared with hedge funds and institutional clients, and each Friday, we’re bringing them directly to you.While the macro landscape can be complex, we believe it doesn’t have to be intimidating.

Here is what we told hedge funds this week – and how we’re trading it!

Ulrik contributes to Steno Signals and the Watch Series on all things related to markets. He is enrolled at the Copenhagen Business School where he studies Applied Economics and Finance and has prior to that worked at the Danish Consulate General in Munich as well as the German Chamber of Commerce in Copenhagen.