GLOBAL ALLOCATION DESKBTC BEYOND THE CANDLES

GLOBAL LANDSCAPE

Markets move.
Context compounds.

Open one research module at a time: understand the indices, translate major currencies into Indian rupees, and place today’s conditions inside a longer history of economic cycles.

THREE RESEARCH MODULES

A clearer view of
the global setting.

These modules are educational reference tools. Index composition, foreign-exchange values and macroeconomic interpretations can change.

01MarketsExplore prominent indices and what each one represents.

INDEX FIELD GUIDE

Know what the benchmark actually owns.

An index is a rule-based measurement—not a complete market. Country, weighting method and sector concentration can make two headline indices behave very differently.

IN

India

Nifty 50

NIFTY 50

50 large, liquid NSE-listed companies across major sectors.

A widely used benchmark for India’s large-cap equity market.
IN

India

BSE Sensex

SENSEX

30 established companies listed on BSE.

India’s long-running headline index with a concentrated blue-chip profile.
US

United States

S&P 500

SPX

About 500 leading US companies, weighted by market value.

Broad large-cap exposure; technology has a meaningful influence.
US

United States

Nasdaq-100

NDX

100 large non-financial companies listed on Nasdaq.

Growth- and technology-heavy; more concentrated than the S&P 500.
US

United States

Dow Jones

DJIA

30 prominent US companies, weighted by share price.

A familiar headline index, but narrower and constructed differently.
GB

United Kingdom

FTSE 100

UKX

100 large companies on the London Stock Exchange.

International revenue, financials, energy and consumer staples feature strongly.
EU

Europe

STOXX Europe 600

SXXP

Large, mid and small companies across 17 European countries.

A broader regional view than a single-country European index.
DE

Germany

DAX 40

DAX

40 major companies listed in Frankfurt.

Exporters, industrials, software and financial companies are influential.
JP

Japan

Nikkei 225

N225

225 leading Tokyo-listed companies, weighted by share price.

Japan’s headline index; exporters and industrial businesses matter greatly.
JP

Japan

TOPIX

TOPX

A much broader group of companies from the Tokyo Stock Exchange.

Often viewed as a broader representation of Japanese equities.
CN

China

CSI 300

CSI300

300 large, liquid mainland A-shares from Shanghai and Shenzhen.

Represents onshore China and can differ sharply from offshore Chinese equities.
HK

Hong Kong

Hang Seng

HSI

Large companies listed in Hong Kong, including mainland businesses.

Financials, internet platforms and China-linked companies are prominent.
CA

Canada

S&P/TSX Composite

TSX

The broad benchmark for the Toronto Stock Exchange.

Financials, energy and materials usually have substantial weight.
AU

Australia

S&P/ASX 200

ASX 200

200 large, liquid Australian-listed companies.

Banks and resource companies give the index a distinct economic profile.
02CurrencySee how many Indian rupees equal one unit of a major currency.

INR REFERENCE RATES

What does one unit cost in rupees?

Fetching latest reference rates
CurrencyCountry / area₹ needed for 1 unit
USDUS dollarUnited States—
EUREuroEuro area—
GBPPound sterlingUnited Kingdom—
JPYJapanese yenJapan—
CNYChinese yuanChina—
CHFSwiss francSwitzerland—
AUDAustralian dollarAustralia—
CADCanadian dollarCanada—
SGDSingapore dollarSingapore—
AEDUAE dirhamUnited Arab Emirates—

Daily mid-market reference rates from Frankfurter’s blended central-bank and official-source dataset. These are educational reference values—not executable bank, card or remittance quotes. Your provider may add a spread and fees.

SOURCE
03CyclesReview major global cycles, affected markets and their causes.

1997–2023 TIMELINE

Different economies turn at different times.

This comparative table highlights prominent global episodes. It is not an official recession chronology for every country; definitions and turning points vary between national authorities.

YearCycle / eventProminent markets affectedPrimary drivers
1997–98Asian financial crisisThailand, Indonesia, South Korea, Malaysia; wider emerging AsiaForeign-currency debt, fragile banking systems and fixed or managed exchange rates met sudden capital flight and sharp currency depreciation.
2000–02Technology bust & global slowdownUnited States, Europe, Japan; global equitiesExcess technology valuations and investment unwound; the 2001 US recession and September 11 shock weakened demand and confidence.
2003–07Credit and commodity expansionUnited States, Europe, China, India and commodity exportersLow rates, rapid credit creation, China-led investment and rising trade supported housing, commodities and risk assets.
2007–09Global financial crisisUnited States and Europe, then worldwideHousing leverage, weak mortgage underwriting, securitisation and interconnected bank balance sheets produced a severe credit contraction.
2010–12Euro-area sovereign debt crisisGreece, Ireland, Portugal, Spain, Italy; wider EuropeSovereign debt concerns and fragile banks reinforced each other, leading to fiscal stress, tighter credit and recession in parts of Europe.
2013Taper tantrumIndia, Brazil, Indonesia, South Africa, Turkey and other emerging marketsExpectations of reduced US monetary stimulus pushed global yields higher, triggering capital outflows and currency pressure in deficit economies.
2014–16China slowdown & commodity bustChina, Brazil, Russia and commodity-exporting economiesChina’s rebalancing, excess industrial capacity and a steep fall in oil and metals prices hurt producers and exposed debt vulnerabilities.
2017Synchronised global expansionUnited States, Europe, Japan, China and emerging marketsManufacturing, trade and investment strengthened together while inflation and financial conditions remained comparatively supportive.
2018–19Trade conflict & manufacturing slowdownUnited States, China, Germany, Japan and trade-linked AsiaTariffs, policy tightening and uncertainty weakened global trade, capital spending and industrial production.
2020Pandemic recessionGlobal—advanced and emerging economiesHealth restrictions, mobility collapse, supply disruption and a sudden stop in services caused an unusually deep but brief global contraction.
2021Reopening accelerationGlobal, but uneven across countriesVaccination, fiscal and monetary support and pent-up demand drove recovery while supply bottlenecks and commodity prices began lifting inflation.
2022Inflation, energy shock & rapid tighteningEurope, United States, United Kingdom and many emerging marketsPost-pandemic imbalances and Russia’s invasion of Ukraine intensified food and energy inflation, prompting unusually fast interest-rate increases.
2023Bank stress & divergent growthUnited States, Europe and ChinaHigher rates exposed duration and funding risks at some banks; Europe stagnated while China’s property adjustment and weaker demand weighed on growth.
Methodology referencesNBER US cycle dates World Bank global recessions IMF Great Lockdown