Germany's Ifo Institute predicts that inflation could fall to 2% by August. European equities rose after the first round of parliamentary elections in France suggested that no party would win an outright majority in the second round. The Nasdaq hit an all-time high, but stocks were held back by a jump in Treasury yields. In Asia, Japan's Nikkei 225 is back above 40,000. Manuel Villegas from Next Generation Research notes that crypto has become politicised in the US, with recent gains coming on the back of Donald Trump's increased chances of becoming the next US president following his debate with President Biden. 00:00 Introduction by Helen Freer (Investment Writing) 00:21 Markets wrap-up by Mike Rauber (Investment Writing) 06:44 Digital assets update by Manuel Villegas (Next Generation Research) 10:59 Closing remarks by Helen Freer (Investment Writing) Would you like to support this show? Please leave us a review and star rating on Apple Podcasts, Spotify or wherever you get your podcasts.