KCM Trade's Chief Market Analyst Tim Waterer Shares Market Insights Across Global Media Throughout July
Throughout July, Chief Market Analyst at KCM Trade and Forbes Advisor Australia advisory board member Tim Waterer continued to provide expert market commentary across leading international media outlets including BBC News, TRT World, NDTV Profit, RTHK Radio 3, BFM 89.9, NewsX World, and Asharq Bloomberg.
As renewed tensions between the US and Iran fuelled sharp volatility in oil prices and reignited concerns over Strait of Hormuz shipping, Tim provided timely analysis on the outlook for global equities, commodities, currencies and central bank policy, helping investors navigate an increasingly volatile geopolitical and macroeconomic landscape.
27 July – Asharq Bloomberg
Tim joined Asharq Bloomberg for a live interview to preview this week's FOMC meeting and the latest round of "Magnificent Seven" earnings.
• Oil prices pulled back at the start of the week following signs of de-escalation between the US and Iran, lifting risk assets and potentially giving the Federal Reserve room to soften its tone at this week's meeting.
• Markets remained divided over surging AI capital expenditure, with semiconductor manufacturers were viewed as well positioned to benefit from favourable supply-demand dynamics, while companies yet to demonstrate clear returns on AI investments faced increasing valuation pressure.
• The "Magnificent Seven" cohort was no longer moving in lockstep, with earnings performance and business models increasingly diverging across the group, raising questions over whether a new set of market leaders could emerge by year-end.
17 July – BFM 89.9
Tim joined Malaysia's BFM 89.9 on The Morning Run to discuss US macro data and the outlook for stocks and gold.
• US retail sales data came in broadly in line with expectations, pointing to a resilient but increasingly selective consumer, with oil prices identified as the key swing factor for spending in the second half of the year.
• Jobless claims reinforced the view that the labour market remained a stabilising rather than growth-driving force, with Fed Chairman Kevin Warsh expected to retain a hawkish bias and potentially deliver a rate increase later in the year.
• Despite recent volatility in Asian chip stocks, including the Kospi, pullbacks in tech and semiconductor names were viewed as buying opportunities given still-solid order books at major chipmakers.
17 July – RTHK Radio 3
Tim appeared on RTHK Radio 3's Money Talk to discuss the global oil outlook, tech stocks and Anthropic's expected IPO.
• Renewed escalation in the Middle East and continued disruption around the Strait of Hormuz kept oil prices elevated, with the market pricing in an optimistic diplomatic outcome that remained far from guaranteed.
• US retail sales and jobless claims data reinforced expectations of a later-year Federal Reserve rate hike, with the scale of any move tied closely to whether Brent crude settled closer to US$70-80 or pushed towards US$100.
• Gold's slide below US$4,000 was attributed to a stronger US dollar and elevated oil prices dampening its safe-haven appeal, while Anthropic's anticipated listing was seen as well-timed to follow the SpaceX IPO and get ahead of potential rivals.
13 July – BBC News
Tim joined BBC News' Business Today to discuss rising oil prices and preview US inflation data.
• Renewed escalation around the Strait of Hormuz pushed oil prices higher, with Brent trading at the top of its recent US$70-80 range and the risk of a further move higher should tensions escalate further.
• US inflation data due later in the week was expected to show a moderation in the annual rate, though continued strength in oil prices threatened to complicate the outlook for a potential September rate decision from the Federal Reserve.
• US bank earnings, including JPMorgan Chase, Goldman Sachs and Wells Fargo, were flagged as a key focus for investors assessing the health of the financial sector heading into the second half of the year.
13 July – TRT World
Tim discussed the oil price jump following renewed US-Iran hostilities, the reasons Asian markets fell, and previewed the Fed Chairman's Congressional testimony.
• Reports of ships being targeted in the Strait of Hormuz raised the risk of a temporary closure, though Brent crude prices remained comparable to those seen when the US-Iran memorandum of understanding was signed the prior month.
• A sharp sell-off in Asian chip stocks, triggered in part by SK Hynix's US listing, was viewed as a rebalancing rather than a sign of deteriorating demand, with Samsung Electronics and Micron's order books still pointing to healthy chip demand.
• Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's first Congressional testimony was expected to lean hawkish given the recent spike in oil prices, keeping a September rate hike firmly on the table.
13 July – NewsX World
Tim discussed rising oil prices and the risks facing energy markets.
• Escalating US-Iran conflict and reports of strikes near the Strait of Hormuz pushed Brent crude up by over 4%, adding a geopolitical risk premium and weighing on sentiment across Asian equity markets.
• Continued disruption to shipping through the Strait risked pushing oil back towards US$100 a barrel, with the diplomatic window between Washington and Tehran remaining open but fragile.
• Major oil-importing economies including India, Japan and South Korea faced pressure on stockpiles and were expected to accelerate diversification towards alternative energy sources to cushion against further supply shocks.
8 July – NDTV Profit
Tim joined NDTV Profit to discuss oil prices and what the latest US-Iran flare-up meant for markets.
• Renewed US-Iran tensions pushed crude oil prices higher again, with Brent expected to trade broadly within a US$70-80 range depending on whether the situation moved towards escalation or de-escalation.
• Lower Chinese oil import demand had helped keep prices suppressed over the prior month, though a resumption of Iranian sanctions threatened to tighten supply once more.
• Oil-importing emerging markets such as India and Korea were viewed as tolerant of prices within the current range, though a sustained reopening of the Strait of Hormuz remained uncertain.
8 July – TRT World
Tim discussed how comments on the Iranian ceasefire impacted oil and broader financial markets, alongside tech stocks and the sell-off in South Korean equities.
• Comments suggesting the Iran ceasefire was over reintroduced a geopolitical risk premium into oil pricing, though Brent remained near levels seen when the memorandum of understanding was signed.
• Higher oil prices prompted a broad repricing across markets, with the US dollar and bond yields rising as investors reassessed the likelihood of a Federal Reserve rate increase around September.
• South Korea's KOSPI, led by chipmakers including Samsung, saw its rally falter despite strong profit forecasts, reflecting a higher bar for the AI trade to impress investors after a strong first half of the year.
2 July – TRT World
Tim discussed the reasons behind the tech sell-off in South Korean stocks, and the outlook for oil and gold.
• A sell-off in South Korean tech and chip stocks was characterised as a healthy correction driven by profit-taking after substantial year-to-date gains, rather than a deterioration in the underlying AI demand story.
• Gold's roughly 14% decline over the quarter was linked to a stronger US dollar and higher oil prices, with a weaker dollar seen as necessary for the metal to regain its footing as a safe-haven asset.
• Falling oil prices, with Brent near US$70, were expected to ease cost pressures on corporate margins and consumer spending, though further disruption around the Strait of Hormuz could reverse the trend.
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