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 Sweat Your Assets Monthly Digest - End of January 2026 - Market Barometer
- Quotes of the Month
- Posts
- Podcasts
1) MARKET BAROMETER  - Greenland, Dollar and GoldHow did you ride January´s market?  Markets are still moving forward, but not with the same carefree energy. The weaker U.S. dollar helps some things — like commodities and parts of global trade — but it’s also a source of concern.  A soft dollar reflects fiscal pressure, large deficits, and long-term confidence questions. And for investors outside the U.S., it introduces real currency risk, often eating into otherwise decent market returns.  At the same time, the world feels fragile. Geopolitical tensions are back on the radar, from ongoing conflicts to renewed strategic attention on places like Greenland and the
Arctic.  These are not headline-driven trades, but they shape the background mood — and markets feel it.  Add interest rates that are slow to come down, equity prices that already ran far, and volatility slowly waking up… and the picture becomes clearer.  For me, the takeaway is simple:
stay invested, stay diversified, and don’t ignore currency and geopolitical risk.   Market / Asset | Value           | Notes |
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S&P 500 | 6,940 | Positive trend | MSCI World | 4,550 | Global equities continued to rise | 10-Year Yield | 4.26% | macro uncertainty | Bitcoin | US$84K | weak trend | Gold (spot) | US$4,900/oz | hit record (§5,594) then corrected | VIX | 18-22 | Volatility spiked in January! |
  - The S&P 500 briefly hit new highs near 7,002, then paused. After a strong rally, investors locked in some gains and took a step back. Despite the late-month slowdown, the index remains solidly up year-to-date, showing confidence is still there—even if enthusiasm has cooled a touch.
- Global markets
started the year on a positive note. The MSCI World moved higher, helped by better performance outside the U.S. Investors are gradually diversifying, attracted by more reasonable valuations and improving prospects in international markets.
- The 10-year yield settled around 4.2%. Rates are no longer falling, but they’re not spiking either. Markets are adjusting to the idea that cuts may come later than hoped, while the economy continues to hold up
reasonably well.
- Bitcoin pulled back to around US$84,000 after earlier highs. Volatility remains part of the ride. This move is a reminder that crypto is still driven by liquidity, sentiment, and momentum, not patience.
- Gold surged to new highs, then cooled off—but it remains well above last year’s levels. Demand for safety is still strong, supported by geopolitical risk, high debt, and long-term uncertainty around
currencies.
- Volatility ticked up from very calm levels. Markets are paying a bit more attention to risk, even if fear remains contained. Complacency is fading—and that’s healthy.
 2) SWEAT YOUR ASSETS - QUOTES OF THE MONTH - Patriotism is supporting your country all of the time, and your government when it deserves it. Mark Twain
- Monastery’s abbot Thomas M Freihart said, quoting Friedrich Schiller: Those who cannot enjoy themselves will eventually become unbearable to others. Friedrich Schiller
- IBM's Jochen Friedrich shared a one-line summary of how we need to transform our economies away from old heavy industries and into open source: We need code and speed, in place of coal and steel.
Jochen Friedrich
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3) BLOG POST: One More Move
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Chess has long been used as a metaphor for fate, struggle, and human agency. From medieval murals to Ingmar Bergman’s cinema and a mysterious 19th-century painting, today´s article explores how what looks like destiny may, in fact, be an unexamined position—and why sometimes there is still one move left to play.
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Read the full article
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4) PODCAST EPISODES
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EVERYBODY, SOMEBODY, ANYBODY, NOBODY. In this episode, we explore responsibility, accountability, and personal agency through the timeless poem Everybody, Somebody, Anybody, and Nobody. From personal decision-making to work, institutions, and society, this episode reflects on why important things so often go undone—and what it really takes to move from
intention to action. A short, thought-provoking episode about ownership, courage, and the cost of waiting for someone else to act. Â
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Tune In
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FINANCIAL FREEDOM IN SOUTH AFRICA. What does it really mean to be financially independent? In this episode, we use South Africa’s retirement visa requirements as a real-world case study to explore the true mechanics of financial independence. By comparing income-based and net-worth-based visa
requirements, this episode highlights a key insight: cash flow matters more than assets alone. Â
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Tune In
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 Until next month,  Sweat Your Assets,  Alessandro Baroni  You are receiving this email because you subscribed to my monthly newsletter, where I share timeless financial content or comment on monthly market trends to secure Financial Freedom.  If this newsletter was forwarded by a friend, and you would like to subscribe for free, you can do it here.  |
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