Politics can dominate headlines without creating meaningful consequence for financial markets. Escalating military action in the Middle East is an example. Investors are likely to focus on consequences for oil prices and safe-haven flows, which seem muted for now. The success of the far-right in Austria’s weekend elections may be a larger investor concern. The global trend toward prejudice politics risks disrupting global trade and capital flow in the near term, and undermining the benefits of technological change in the longer term.
