Week 28: Geopolitics Rattle Markets - Vol Holds, Portfolios Deliver

Iran tensions, a hawkish Fed and surging oil prices kept traders on edge: yet equities ended the week higher and all four Rivativ portfolios outperformed the S&P 500.

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Weekly Summary

Week 28 (6–10 July) was anything but quiet. Renewed tensions between the United States and Iran dominated the headlines and injected sharp intraweek swings across equities, bonds, oil and gold. Despite the turbulence, US equity markets managed to close the week in positive territory: the S&P 500 gained around 0.7% on the week and now sits +10.4% year-to-date. For options traders, the week offered a compelling combination of geopolitical risk spikes and ultimately orderly market behaviour — an environment that tests discipline and rewards structured positioning.

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