Latest news with #CIOs
Khaleej Times
4 days ago
- Business
- Khaleej Times
Three reasons why AIOps is fast becoming a strategic priority for CIOs in Qatar
As Qatar accelerates its digital transformation in line with National Vision 2030, local CIOs are under pressure to manage increasingly complex IT infrastructures while also delivering on bold innovation mandates. From enabling smart cities and digital government services to supporting AI-powered public and private sector initiatives, the role of the CIO is becoming more strategic—and more challenging—than ever before. In this environment, technology leaders must navigate a demanding balancing act: how to modernise and scale IT operations, unlock value from data, and deliver seamless digital experiences without compromising on performance or resilience. AIOps (Artificial Intelligence for IT Operations) is emerging as a vital tool in this equation—one that can help CIOs in Qatar not only stay ahead of operational risk but actively drive transformation across their organisations. Organisations need tools that provide proactive incident management and faster issue resolution for increasingly complex IT infrastructure. AIOps uses machine learning and advanced analytics to monitor IT environments in real-time, allowing for quicker detection of potential issues, anomalies, and system performance degradation. AIOps tools can automatically analyze and identify the root causes of issues, reducing the human time spent on troubleshooting and accelerating incident resolution. This significantly improves system uptime and reduces downtime, which is crucial for maintaining smooth business operations. Most importantly, AIOps can provide reduced mean time to resolution (MTTR) as CIOs can drastically shorten the time it takes to identify and resolve incidents, ensuring minimal disruption to users and business processes. Use of AIOps offers organisations enhanced IT efficiency and automation to lessen the stress and pressures of IT management. AIOps automates routine and time-consuming tasks, such as log aggregation, event correlation, and alert management. This frees up IT teams to focus on more strategic projects and helps reduce manual errors and inefficiencies. AIOps platforms can also dynamically allocate resources based on real-time usage data, ensuring optimal performance and reducing the risk of over, or worse, under-provisioning IT resources. This results in cost savings and improved system performance. By leveraging AI to automate various aspects of IT operations, organisations can manage their infrastructure more efficiently, enabling IT teams to scale operations without significantly increasing resource requirements. Organisations are able to improve predictive capabilities and risk mitigation. There is tremendous value in using AIOps to predict potential failures or performance bottlenecks based on historical data and trends, enabling proactive measures to be taken before issues make costly impacts to the business. Predictive capabilities help CIOs plan for capacity, resource needs, and system upgrades more effectively. By identifying and addressing potential issues before they escalate, AIOps minimizes the risks associated with system downtime, security breaches, and poor performance. This helps safeguard business continuity and customer satisfaction. Further, AIOps helps maintain system reliability by proactively managing risks, ensuring IT operations stay aligned with business goals, and supporting a seamless user experience. Qatar's vision of becoming a digital-first, knowledge-based economy relies on high-performing technology infrastructure—and AIOps is key to making this vision a reality. According to Riverbed's 2024 Global AI & Digital Experience Survey, top-performing organisations are far more likely to be investing in AI than their peers (74% vs 54%), underlining the competitive advantage it can deliver. For CIOs in Qatar, this is not just about modernisation—it's about relevance, resilience, and readiness in a rapidly changing regional and global market. Beyond operational benefits, AIOps also helps attract and retain younger tech talent—an important consideration in a growing economy like Qatar's. The same survey found that younger generations, particularly Gen Z and Millennials, are the most optimistic about AI's role in the workplace. By adopting AIOps, CIOs send a powerful signal that their organisation is future-focused and committed to empowering its workforce. In a region where technology leadership is fast becoming a national imperative, Qatari CIOs who fail to act may find themselves facing growing inefficiencies, mounting risks, and declining stakeholder confidence. In contrast, those who embrace AIOps are setting themselves—and their organisations—on a path toward stronger performance, deeper insight, and sustainable success in the years ahead. The writer is Global CIO at Riverbed Technology.
The Independent
4 days ago
- Business
- The Independent
The software that could be putting your cyber-security at risk
Payara is a Business Reporter client As organisations rely more and more on IT ecosystems to support their digital transformation, middleware components have become crucial to effectively support applications, data sharing and transactions. Yet middleware security is often overlooked, leaving many digital ecosystems exposed to multiple threats that could hinder key business operations. How can chief information and technology officers (CIOs and CTOs) identify and address middleware vulnerabilities? Middleware plays a central role in connecting IT systems and applications. Considered 'software glue', it facilitates communications and data exchange between them. It is precisely these key activities performed by middleware that lead it to carry underappreciated cyber-security risks. To minimise these issues and their impact, it is essential for organisations to be aware of the most common vulnerabilities and how they can be addressed. Middleware components are often used without fully considering their lifecycle. One widespread practice is the use of unsupported and/or outdated open-source middleware to support data management and transfer across various applications, including mission-critical software. As a result, crucial applications and business operations may be relying on versions that lack updates, patches or commercial support. Over time, these neglected components accumulate exploitable vulnerabilities. Unsupported and/or legacy middleware software also undermines compliance efforts. Typically, regulatory frameworks not only mandate timely vulnerability remediation but also the use of supported, up-to-date components. This can create a paradox: organisations adopt unsupported open-source solutions to reduce costs, only to risk facing steep penalties and reputational damage when audits reveal non-compliance. Compounding these challenges is the rise of supply chain attacks, which target an organisation through vulnerabilities in its supply chain. These vulnerable areas are usually linked to vendors with poor security practices. Middleware built on unsupported or poorly vetted components can therefore become a conduit for these threats and propagate them across integrated systems within one or multiple organisations. Enterprise-grade solutions: a path forward for middleware security Addressing these risks demands a shift in mindset. CIOs and CTOs must first map their middleware landscape, identifying any outdated or unsupported components, such as application servers, to reveal hidden weak points where vulnerabilities fester. Following this, technical teams can plan suitable strategies to secure their middleware and IT ecosystems. These will typically involve migrations from unsecure unsupported or legacy application servers to a more reliable alternative. While this transition can be more challenging than a generic 'lift-and-shift', it offers long-term benefits in terms of performance, resilience, regulatory compliance and security. This is where a reliable technology partner, such as Payara Services, fills a critical gap. Payara provides a platform of open-source yet stable, supported, up-to-date and production-ready middleware solutions that are built with security and stability in mind. Payara Platform Enterprise combines the flexibility of open-source with advanced security features, such as centralised management and fault tolerance, that mitigate risks inherent in fragmented middleware environments. Crucially, it aligns with regulatory standards, reducing the compliance burden and shielding organisations from the financial and legal fallout of breaches. In addition, unlike unsupported open-source alternatives, Payara Platform Enterprise provides extensive technical assistance as well as long-term software support. These result in the timely, regular delivery of security patches and performance updates as well as round-the-clock expertise if any issue arises. Even more, the middleware technology comes with enhanced monitoring, logging and access control features that help detect anomalies and proactively enforce security policies. Beyond providing secure alternatives, a technology partner such as Payara Services can play a key role in streamlining migration efforts through consulting, tooling, documentation and best practices. This helps make the transition from legacy systems or community solutions smooth while optimising the setup for long-term scalability, compliance and modernisation efforts. Driving robust middleware security strategies Middleware may often operate behind the scenes, but its security implications are front and centre in ensuring enterprise resilience. Unsupported or community-driven open-source middleware, while financially appealing, introduces risks and operational burdens that escalate over time, transforming short-term savings into long-term liabilities. By replacing these software components with an up-to-date alternative such as Payara Platform Enterprise that enforces governance while offering enterprise-grade support, organisations can reduce their exposure and better defend against the evolving threat landscape. Ultimately, it is possible to move beyond reactive firefighting and embrace a proactive security posture that protects data and systems, as well as the trust of customers and partners, while optimising costs.
Forbes
6 days ago
- Business
- Forbes
How Corporate Events Are Changing To Fit Business Needs
In this uncertain time for business, a recent PwC survey found that more executives now have confidence in the effectiveness of their boards. That's good news—until you look at the percentage. Only 35% rate their boards' overall effectiveness as excellent or good, up from 30% in last year's study. And that's actually still more of an improvement: 29% gave that rating in 2021 and 2022. In its survey, PwC spoke with 500 executives in different positions, ranging from CEO to chief legal officer and COO. CEOs had the best view of their boards, with 94% saying they were excellent or good. CFOs also viewed them favorably, with 72% ranking them in good esteem. PwC said this may reflect boards getting better in some ways—with members chosen to provide oversight and financial guidance. And the executives that interact the most with boards do tend to rank them the highest. Board members still may be missing some critical expertise, however. Nearly four in five CIOs ranked their boards as fair or poor, which may reflect a lack of knowledge about technology, cybersecurity and AI among members. About 43% of executives said they wanted AI expertise added to their boards this year, but only 10% of board members expected that to happen. Executives and board members both felt that AI is a top priority for boards in the next 12 months. Regardless, the majority of executives believe their boards can come through when needed. Seven in 10 said they believe their board can guide the company through a crisis, while 88% feel their boards can effectively engage with shareholders. And when changes are needed, six in 10 execs are confident that boards can assess their own performance and make needed shifts. Whether that faith in the boards is merited remains to be seen. As the year progresses into the unknown, the strengths of these boards—and executives' confidence in them—are likely to be put to the test. Even though the shutdowns of the Covid-19 pandemic era are in the rearview mirror, corporate events and trade shows are becoming increasingly important to businesses. I spoke with Janet Dell, CEO of events company Freeman, about how events are changing to reflect today's workforce—both in attendees and goals. An excerpt from our conversation is later in this newsletter. President Donald Trump displays a signed executive order imposing tariffs on imported goods at the 'Liberation Day' press conference. The majority of President Donald Trump's new tariffs were struck down in two federal court cases last week, although it's certainly not the end of the issue. A three-judge panel at the Court of International Trade ruled that the so-called reciprocal tariffs announced as part of Trump's 'Liberation Day' press conference should be 'set aside.' The panel ruled that Trump did not have the authority to impose unlimited tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act, which gives presidents the power to impose sanctions during national emergencies. In a second lawsuit brought by a group of companies, Washington, D.C. District Judge Rudolph Contreras also found the tariffs to be illegal. But for now, the tariffs—or threat thereof—are still on. The U.S. Court of Appeals for the Federal Circuit paused the order halting the tariffs while those judges rule on an appeal. In the meantime, there is still action with new tariffs and existing negotiations. Trump announced a 50% tariff on imported steel and aluminum last week, which goes into effect this week, at an event at U.S. Steel. And negotiations continued last week with China, although progress remains unclear. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said last Thursday that talks have stalled. Friday morning, Trump wrote on Truth Social that China 'HAS TOTALLY VIOLATED ITS AGREEMENT WITH US.' Monday morning, Chinese authorities shot back, accusing the U.S. of breaching the agreement that both countries came to last month, saying the U.S. introduced 'discriminatory restrictive measures against China' after the talks, including expanded export controls on AI chips and other chip-building technologies. Regardless of the broader tariff fight, companies are now starting to reflect the impacts—or projected impacts—in their earnings reports. Forbes senior contributor Shelley E. Kohan analyzed how the nation's five largest retailers—Walmart, Amazon, Costco, Kroger and Home Depot—are handling tariffs. Companies with significant non-grocery sales have pulled forward inventory purchases before tariffs took effect, trying to stay ahead of the impacts on price. Home Depot executives said they can maintain competitive prices and don't expect broad increases, while Walmart executives indicated that they will not be able to completely mitigate tariff-related increases. Costco, Kroger and Walmart are all trying to keep their food prices down, especially since consumers have been paying more over the last several years—though popular products, including bananas, coffee, avocados and flowers, are almost always imported. Meanwhile, many of the companies are changing their supply strategies, not relying on any one country for goods or manufacturing. Many businesses continued to lower their outlooks for the rest of the year, given tariff uncertainty. Last week, Best Buy, Macy's and Abercrombie & Fitch all reduced their sales and earnings projections for the year. President Donald Trump walks with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell in 2017. Last week was another bumpy ride for the stock market, with ups and downs related to tariffs, government financial reports and Big Tech. April's inflation figures remained relatively mild, not yet showing the impact of President Donald Trump's tariff policies. Personal consumption expenditures increased 2.1% above April 2024, the lowest PCE inflation rate since last September, and getting close to the Federal Reserve's sweet spot of 2% inflation. However, economists at Bank of America and Goldman Sachs both forecast a jump in tariff-related inflation to 3.6% by December—though they say it is not expected to be as sharp of a jolt in price as the post-pandemic inflation of 2021 and 2022. The lower inflation rate, however, doesn't mean that interest rate cuts are set to happen anytime soon. Minutes from the Federal Reserve's Open Market Committee's early May meeting were released last week, and they indicated that the Fed is planning to continue to watch the impacts of Trump's planned policies—which to date have been sudden, jarring and unpredictable—before making any moves, writes Forbes senior contributor Charles Lloyd Bovaird II. Forbes senior contributor Erik Sherman writes it's unlikely there will be any changes to interest rates before the end of the year. Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell met with Trump last week, and Powell reaffirmed that the Fed would continue to make policy decisions 'based solely on careful, objective, and non-political analysis.' Regardless of the indicators last week, small businesses are feeling decidedly less optimistic, writes Forbes' Brandon Kochkodin. The April Small Business Optimism Index, published monthly by the National Federation of Independent Business, showed optimism down to 95.8, below the 51-year average of 98, and down 1.6% from March. Retail business owners had the lowest scores, with optimism of 93.7. More than three-quarters said supply chain issues were impacting their business, and 14% said their inventories were too low. But negative feelings are running high across all sectors; the most confident sector in April was construction, and that was down nearly 4 points from January. getty As federal government attitudes on diversity, equity and inclusion push the issue to the back of corporate priorities, companies are talking about it a whole lot less. According to an analysis by Gravity Research, references to DEI and associated terminology in Fortune 100 company reports dropped 72% between 2024 and 2025. The acronym DEI saw the largest drop in mentions—down 98%—while more neutral terms about diversifying, such as 'inclusion' and 'belonging' were down by more than a third. The only place where mentions of DEI increased was on earnings calls, where the term came up 390% more often—but usually because of more shareholder questions about it. Gravity Research Vice President of Thought Leadership Joanna Piacenza said the report 'speaks volumes to the current political environment,' which has made diversity initiatives a polarizing issue—as well as a legal one. Freeman CEO Janet Dell. Events have retained their popularity through the pandemic, but are changing based on attendees and preferences. I talked to Janet Dell, CEO of global event company Freeman, about why events are still so successful and vital for business. This conversation has been edited for length, clarity and continuity. During the pandemic and soon afterwards, many Baby Boomers retired, and the workforce now has many more Millennials and Gen Zers. How have events changed to reflect the age of the attendees? Dell: Each of the demographics has a different preference in general. The younger demographics—Gens Z and Alpha and Millennials—want that face-to-face engagement. They're looking for ways to get more professional development opportunities, connect with buyers, learn about what's cutting edge in their industry in particular, because there's a lot more hybrid working arrangements. Events are turning into 'bleisure' events, where you're going out for the event and staying a few days after. People are looking at ways to make it easier because talking about the digital native versus a digital hybrid. We're helping support the events, partnering with someone with AI tools that can help you match-make. Or it can help you understand dwell times and engagement when you go through a booth. So our exhibitors know: Is this impactful content? Am I optimally set up? [We also make] sure there's more time in the events for people to talk to one another. I would say one of the bigger changes pre- and post- pandemic is not overscheduling, and trying to give people more time to engage and immerse, and not just going back-to-back-to-back on things, straight into a happy hour, then a dinner, et cetera. There's more of a consumer slant versus B2B, where they're really thinking about the customized individual experience versus a blanket use-the-same-formulas-as-they-did-before. We've got a lot of new, fresh ideas, married with a lot of long-tenured people that have been in events, experience and exhibits for a long time. Looking at some of the recent research Freeman has done, people place a huge amount of trust in what they see, learn and experience at events. Has it always been that way? It's always been the most powerful medium for building trust is face-to-face. You can't beat bringing someone together, having a conversation, reading the verbal and the nonverbal cues, and then interacting live. That's what people missed in the pandemic, and why there was this incredible pent up demand. We saw virtual events be adopted. They have a place, and it's much more inclusive. But then when people came back,[there was] just incredible demand, and it held up. Ninety-four percent say this is the biggest trust-building medium. It allows you to grow your interpersonal skills. You can gain professional confidence, and you stay on cutting edge in the industry. It also helps close business, in terms of commerce and retain clients because you're showing them all the benefits of what you're doing. Once you leave that event, 87% of the people that have attended are more likely to go to your website. You've got that 365-day connection, which is what you want to see with your clients to make sure that they stay loyal to your brand. What do executives need to know about events? They need to be clear on what their objective is. We do thousands of events a year and we bring in 400,000 to 500,000 exhibitors. They have to be clear on what their objective is for the event. Why would you be attending? You can get matched up with the right event to be able to take advantage of that. If you can do that, then you can start planning out how you're going to take advantage of it, whether it's through sessions, keynote speakers, the trade show floor, experiences or one-to-one special events like hosted-buyer-type scenarios. All those things can have a more personalized experience and therefore a better return on it. Send us C-suite transition news at forbescsuite@ Running a business is challenging in the best of times, but the chaos around tariff policies has injected a new level of uncertainty. Here are some tips for navigating business in this environment. EF World Journeys CEO Heidi Durflinger runs her business the same way she trained for her first ultra-marathon: breaking a large task into more manageable steps. Here are some tips to apply the same strategy to your business—even if you're not a runner. Whose recent earnings have reinstated them to the Forbes billionaires list? A. Lisa Su B. Gary Lauder C. J.K. Rowling D. Whitney Wolfe Herd See if you got it right here.
Yahoo
20-05-2025
- Business
- Yahoo
Saviynt to Launch SaviTalk Podcast
The Identity Authority's new podcast brings together the brightest minds in identity security to share insights, spark conversation, and shape the future of cybersecurity LOS ANGELES, May 20, 2025--(BUSINESS WIRE)--Saviynt, a leading provider of cloud-native identity and governance platform solutions, today announced the launch of SaviTalk, its official audio and visual podcast, with the first episode going live on Thursday, June 5. Taping of the episodes began in April at the RSA Conference in San Francisco. SaviTalk will provide an engaging platform for thought-provoking discussion on the evolving landscape of cybersecurity, identity security, and digital transformation. Designed to be the go-to resource for security professionals, industry leaders, and enterprises navigating the complexities of modern identity security, SaviTalk will feature insightful conversations with Saviynt's top executives, customers, and industry influencers. The podcast aims to unpack the most pressing challenges and opportunities in identity governance, privileged access management, and compliance, while also exploring the latest innovations shaping the future of cybersecurity. "Identity security has never been more critical, and SaviTalk allows us to expand the conversation beyond traditional channels," said Sachin Nayyar, chief executive officer and founder of Saviynt. "Through this podcast, we are giving listeners direct access to industry-leading voices, real-world insights, and forward-thinking strategies to help organizations navigate today's complex security landscape." The name SaviTalk was inspired by the concepts of TED Talks – concise, insightful discussions that drive thought leadership and innovation. By incorporating Savi, the podcast stays true to Saviynt's identity while reinforcing its role as a leading voice in identity security. "SaviTalk will be more than just a podcast; it will be a culture movement," said Tara Ryan, chief marketing officer at Saviynt. "It's how we will continue to build trust, share our unique point of view, and shape the future of identity security on our own terms." Meet the Hosts SaviTalk is hosted by some of the most influential experts in identity security, each bringing a unique perspective and wealth of experience to the conversation: Henrique Teixeira, SVP of Strategy – A seasoned identity security strategist with a deep background in product and business transformation, Teixeira previously held an analyst role at Gartner, where he influenced major market shifts in identity and access management. Simon Gooch, Field CIO – With decades of experience advising enterprise CIOs and CISOs, Gooch bridges the gap between technology and business needs. He has led digital transformation initiatives across Europe and North America, offering a customer-first perspective that resonates with global audiences. David Lee, Field CTO – Known for his engaging communication style and sharp insights, Lee is a go-to voice in the cybersecurity community. With experience at companies like Cloudentity, AWS, and Lockheed Martin, he brings clarity to complex topics and a vision for simplifying identity security at scale. Jim Routh, Chief Trust Officer – A legendary cybersecurity executive, Routh has served as CISO for organizations like Mass Mutual, Aetna, and JP Morgan Chase. He is widely respected for his forward-thinking approach to cyber risk, innovation, and building resilient security cultures. With these industry experts at the helm, SaviTalk will deliver high-impact conversations designed to educate, challenge, and inspire listeners across the security ecosystem. SaviTalk will debut Thursday, June 5, with an exclusive first episode featuring CEO Sachin Nayyar, where he shares his journey in identity security and the vision for Saviynt's future. Listeners can tune in on Spotify, Apple Podcasts, and other major streaming platforms. Additionally, Saviynt is inviting security professionals, customers, and partners to participate in upcoming episodes. Whether it's a customer success story, a major industry trend, or an innovative security approach, SaviTalk aims to spotlight the voices shaping the future of identity security. Interested guests can submit nominations for topics and speakers through Saviynt's website. For more information and to listen to the latest episodes of SaviTalk, visit the website. About Saviynt Saviynt empowers enterprises to secure their digital transformation, safeguard critical assets, and meet regulatory compliance. With a vision to provide a secure and compliant future for all enterprises, Saviynt is recognized as an industry leader in identity security whose cutting-edge solutions protect the world's leading brands, Fortune 500 companies and government organizations. For more information, please visit View source version on Contacts Press Contact Jacklyn Error in retrieving data Sign in to access your portfolio Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data Error in retrieving data
Zawya
16-05-2025
- Business
- Zawya
US inflation progress stokes real yield problem: McGeever
(The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters.) ORLANDO, Florida - Few would find fault with the steady, gradual decline in U.S. inflation, but it has recently come with an unwelcome side effect: rising 'real' borrowing costs. With the Federal Reserve's official policy rate on hold and the benchmark 10-year Treasury yield edging higher, inflation-adjusted interest rates – so-called real rates – are rising, effectively tightening monetary policy and financial conditions. The real yield on the 10-year Treasury note is now approaching 2.20%, the highest in a decade, based on the April headline annual CPI inflation rate of 2.3%. And the real fed funds rate has risen from a low of 1.50% in January to eclipse 2.00%, the highest in more than six months. While real borrowing costs are not at levels that will trigger alarm bells with Fed officials, CEOs or CIOs, the direction of travel is pretty clear, and is one more factor that could weigh on the activity of consumers, businesses, and investors in an environment already shrouded in a thick fog of uncertainty. Additionally, for policymakers, it shines a light on the constant struggle to determine the optimal interest rate at any given time. In Fed Chair Jerome Powell's press conference earlier this month after the central bank left its fed funds target range on hold at 4.25-4.50%, he said no fewer than eight times that rates are "in a good place". Current policy is "somewhat" and "modestly or moderately" restrictive, he added. The higher real rates grind, however, the tighter policy gets, unless the Fed resumes its easing cycle, which has been on pause following cuts of 100 basis points between last August and December. The tariff-fueled uncertainty and volatility of recent months has helped to extend that pause and, thus, enabled real rates to rise. R-STAR, MAN Real borrowing costs can send vastly different signals from their nominal equivalents. For example, Japan's official policy rate and long-dated bond yields are the highest in years, but the real policy rate is deeply negative and by far the lowest among the G4 central banks. In the U.S., the signaling behind today's rate moves is far from clear. If real yields are rising because investors are demanding a risk premium to hold dollars and Treasuries, then it's a cause for concern. If the upward shift reflects strong growth expectations, then that's much more positive. But, regardless, one thing is evident. The higher U.S. real rates grind, the further away they move from 'R-Star', the amorphous real rate of interest that neither stimulates nor crimps economic activity when the economy is at full employment. Two closely watched R-Star models partly constructed by current New York Fed President John Williams suggest the optimum real interest rate at the end of December was 0.8% or 1.3%, both the lowest in years. These figures will be updated for the January-March quarter at the end of this month. Fed rate-setters' median projection for the natural real interest rate is around 1.0%, and this view will be updated next month. These projections assume inflation at the Fed's 2% target, which it hasn't been for years. The R-Star concept has come under heavy criticism since the pandemic. Williams defended it in July last year, saying it is a fundamental part of all macroeconomic models and frameworks. "Pretending it doesn't exist or wishing it away does not change that." But he also cautioned that R-Star should not be "overly" relied upon when setting appropriate monetary policy "at a given point in time" given the uncertainty surrounding it. So as real rates move further away from this theoretical sweet spot, what, if anything, is the real-world impact? Right now, financial conditions are loosening as markets calm after the market turmoil wrought by the 'Liberation Day' tariff tantrum last month. But if you exclude that uniquely volatile episode, conditions have been steadily tightening since September last year, Goldman Sachs's U.S. financial conditions index shows. Further upside for real yields from here may be limited if inflation ticks higher in the coming months as Trump's tariffs kick in. But worries over U.S. debt and deficits are beginning to weigh on the long end of the bond market again. As investors continue to monitor countless economic variables to determine where the U.S. economy is heading, elevated real yields are one they should watch closely. (The opinions expressed here are those of the author, a columnist for Reuters)
