Weekly Market Update 17/06/2026

In this Weekly Market Update, we review a week of market recovery following the sell-off on Friday 5 June, with investors responding to hopes of a US-Iran agreement, lower oil prices and the largest IPO in history.

We explore why the SpaceX listing raises broader questions about concentration risk in passive investment portfolios, particularly for expatriates whose retirement savings may be heavily exposed to a small number of US technology names.

The episode also looks at the growing divergence between major central banks, with the European Central Bank tightening, the Federal Reserve expected to hold, and the Bank of England facing weak UK growth alongside persistent inflation pressures.

For cross-border families, this creates important questions around currency exposure, pension income, euro cash returns and sterling-based retirement planning.

We also examine the latest tax developments across Europe, including changes affecting QROPS transfers, Portugal’s post-NHR landscape, Malta’s pension tax incentives, Cyprus tax reforms, France’s treaty advantages for US-connected clients, and Belgium’s expanded inbound regime.

The key message is clear: in a world shaped by security concerns, inflation control and tax reform, cross-border wealth planning can no longer rely on legacy structures or set-and-forget portfolios. Coordination between residence, taxation and investment strategy matters more than ever.