What to make of the situation in Eastern Europe? Russia has massed forces on the Ukrainian border, and recognized two adjacent Ukrainian provinces – both with ethnic Russian population majorities – as independent. The US has matched this bellicosity with saber rattling of its own, although the Biden Administration has made it clear that it will oppose Russian moves with economic sanctions rather than force. The result: a geopolitical mess that is threatening stability from Moscow to Washington and all points in between.
Wall Street giant Goldman Sachs has added some fuel to investor concerns, making public its stance on market fortunes should an open conflict – or harsh sanctions against Russia – take effect. In either of those cases, the firm sees the S&P 500 index losing another 6% in the immediate aftermath. Such a loss would come on top of the ~10% drop the index has…
