Daily risk briefing ·
Market crash risk on 4 February 2026: 56.0% (Risky)
vs previous day change −5.1 pts vs previous day vs 1 week earlier change −0.9 pts vs 1 week earlier
This briefing was published under methodology v1 (fixed thresholds, trend penalty, regime multiplier). Its numbers are kept as published and are not comparable with v2 readings. See the current methodology.
Summary
The Financial Composite Gauge registered 57.9% (Risky), the Overall Gauge hit 56.0% (Risky), and the Geopolitical Layer is 50.4% (Risky).
Key geopolitical drivers include Russian attacks on Ukrainian energy and China's warning regarding the Panama Canal ports.
The consistent Risky readings across all layers signal elevated systemic instability driven by external geopolitical pressures.
Geopolitical drivers
- Russia attacks Ukraine energy sites72Continued attacks on energy infrastructure increase volatility in European natural gas and electricity futures, raising energy supply risk.
- China warns Panama on canal ports dispute66A dispute involving a Hong Kong firm and the Panama Canal raises risks regarding the stability and neutrality of a critical global shipping chokepoint, potentially impacting trade disruption costs.
- Israel kills 18, suspends Rafah evacuation64Renewed deadly conflict and suspension of humanitarian routes heighten regional instability, maintaining the geopolitical risk premium on oil prices.
Biggest 5-day market moves
- Bitcoin/USD −13147.44
- Gold Spot Price −217.20
- S&P 500 Index −60.79
Chart values use methodology v2 (point-in-time backfill), so they differ from the v1 numbers published above.
Show data table
| Date | Total | Financial | Geopolitical | Band |
|---|---|---|---|---|
| 2026-02-19 | 46.1 | 46.9 | 41.9 | Cautious |
| 2026-02-18 | 48.8 | 49.5 | 44.9 | Cautious |
| 2026-02-17 | 49.5 | 49.4 | 50.1 | Cautious |
| 2026-02-16 | 49.5 | 49.3 | 50.9 | Cautious |
| 2026-02-13 | 50.0 | 48.5 | 58.9 | Risky |
| 2026-02-12 | 42.1 | 39.2 | 58.8 | Cautious |
| 2026-02-11 | 42.6 | 39.2 | 61.6 | Cautious |
| 2026-02-10 | 39.6 | 36.0 | 60.3 | Cautious |
| 2026-02-09 | 46.6 | 44.2 | 60.5 | Cautious |
| 2026-02-06 | 52.0 | 50.6 | 59.5 | Risky |
| 2026-02-05 | 45.8 | 42.5 | 64.0 | Cautious |
| 2026-02-04 | 42.2 | 39.0 | 60.1 | Cautious |
| 2026-02-03 | 35.7 | 31.5 | 59.8 | Cautious |
| 2026-02-02 | 40.9 | 37.3 | 61.5 | Cautious |
| 2026-01-30 | 36.8 | 31.9 | 64.2 | Cautious |
| 2026-01-29 | 34.2 | 29.0 | 63.6 | Safe |
| 2026-01-28 | 32.6 | 26.9 | 64.6 | Safe |
| 2026-01-27 | 35.0 | 29.7 | 65.4 | Cautious |
| 2026-01-26 | 36.3 | 31.7 | 62.4 | Cautious |
| 2026-01-23 | 35.0 | 30.3 | 61.2 | Safe |
| 2026-01-22 | 39.8 | 36.6 | 58.3 | Cautious |
| 2026-01-21 | 46.6 | 44.0 | 61.1 | Cautious |
| 2026-01-20 | 36.4 | 32.1 | 61.3 | Cautious |
Not financial advice. Use the gauge as a risk thermometer, not a timing oracle.