If a week is a long time in politics, it can be a lifetime in financial markets. On Wednesday the guys were reflecting on how calmly stocks and bonds were behaving, and within a day the situation had turned on its head. The International Energy Agency has declared the current disruption 'the largest in the history of the oil market'. European power prices are surging, and UK interest rate expectations have swung from cuts to one or even two increases. So, while oil majors like BP (BP.) and Shell (SHEL) are reaping the whirlwind, housebuilders and banks are collateral damage. Stocks like Barratt Redrow (BTRW), Persimmon (PSN), and even NatWest (NWG) have been through the mill this week.
