As this cohort of workers expands, so does exposure to foreign exchange costs, often in ways that are not immediately visible. Many digital nomads are paid in one currency, hold savings in another, and spend across several more.
Nearly half of firms (48%) expected turnover to grow over the next 12 months in the first quarter of the year, up from 42% in the final quarter of 2025.
Ongoing conflict in the Middle East continues to disrupt global markets and oil prices, adding a persistent layer of uncertainty for UK firms. This geopolitical instability is driving higher cost pressures and intensifying concerns around supply chains and energy security, all of which are critical factors in strategic business decision making.
The most senior officials from the US Federal Reserve, the European Central Bank, and the Bank of England are expected to take part in a desktop stress test to respond to another Lehman Brothers-style collapse.
"This is a system shock," says Nigel Green, CEO of deVere Group. "You have a material energy supply disruption and a structural shift toward fragmentation."
The Invesco DB Commodity Index Tracking Fund (NYSEARCA:DBC) is up 42% over the past year, and nearly 29% year-to-date. These gains reflect a war that has scrambled global commodity supply chains from crude oil to wheat to fertilizer.
The stock market hates inflation. There are not many stocks that are little affected today, if any. However, safe-haven stocks may even rise due to demand. At the top of this list is Altria (NYSE: MO), the cigarette and tobacco king. People who smoke do not stop smoking, even during periods of conflict.
We're on a rollercoaster of AI disruption with geopolitical risks adding to the uneasy ride. Sell-offs have rocked markets as artificial intelligence tools and services threaten to disrupt sectors. High geopolitical tensions have also been the theme so far this year, with the ongoing US military build‑up in the Middle East, while the assault on Venezuela and January's stand‑off over Greenland are still front of mind.
