Monthly Outlook: Buckle up for 2026

If you think 2025 has been a wild ride, so 2026 ‘will be calmer’ as things revert to the mean, then you haven’t understood this year. The global rules-based order is breaking down. Where 2025 saw the demolition of many assumed norms, 2026 will see new rules emerge as US statecraft (economic, political, and military) is flexed to reshape itself and the world around it. It’s critical to grasp the potential volatility when trying to map the risks your business needs to navigate. It’s time to buckle up.