Why Volatility Could Rise Quickly This Week

US equity indexes finished the week that ended on May 18 on a negative note despite reports indicating that US-China trade negotiations had resulted in China agreeing to reduce its trade surplus with the United States by $200 billion. In a joint statement released on May 19, the United States and China revealed that China would increase its imports of US products and that both sides would work to resolve their economic and trade concerns. Volatility in the equity markets (VOO) in the week, however, was influenced by higher bond yields and an appreciating US dollar, which were pushed higher by the increased economic divergence between the United States and other developed economies.