Tim Fox

The country's inclusion on the MSCI Emerging Markets Index coupled with its leadership in the Opec negotiations puts it centre stage

A potentially damaging trade war and an end to quantitative easing in Europe could see a change to this sanguine approach

After outperforming global equity markets for two years, emerging market equities have underperformed since the start of 2018

The greenback made a comeback after concerns about protectionism and geopolitics eased last month

While the US president's Twitter message may have caused a reaction, it will be oil's strength that will bring about change

Including Saudi stocks into popular indices, such as the FTSE Emerging Market index, is a boon for the economy

A confluence of factors point to a heating economy

Mixed messages from the white house and threats of protectionism are impacting the greenback

Another question to consider is what will happen to the long end of the US rate curve

Opec's extension on oil cuts, the US tax reform bill and the Muller investigation will have

While the Bank of England has raised rates for the first time in 10 years, Donald Trump announced Jerome Powell as the next Fed chair

While the equity markets are looking stable thanks to hopes of tax cuts in the US, the road ahead is not entirely clear of challenges

Janet Yellen's term is due to finish in February and markets are nervous about who will take her place and what President Trump wants from the new Fed leader

New stance by prominent state lenders has caught markets a little bit off guard

Period of uncertainty among investors, corporations and consumers likely to be extended