under constraction

Global equities, as measured by the MSCI All Country World Index (ACWI), posted strong gains in May, despite intermittent volatility driven by shifting U.S. trade policies under the administration of President Donald Trump. Investor sentiment ultimately improved as markets reacted positively to progress in trade negotiations between the U.S. and several key trading partners. Developed markets outpaced their emerging-market counterparts during the month.

In the U.S., the S&P 500 Index and the tech-focused Nasdaq Composite Index delivered impressive returns of 6.3% and 9.7%, respectively—marking their strongest monthly performance since November 2023. Notably, the S&P 500 also recorded its best May return since 1990.¹ ²

Among developed markets, North America led the gains, primarily due to the U.S. equity rally. The Pacific ex Japan region also posted solid returns, supported by strength in Singapore and New Zealand. While Europe finished the month in positive territory, it underperformed relative to peers, with Switzerland, Belgium, and France weighing on regional performance.

In emerging markets, the Far East was the standout, driven by strong showings in Taiwan and Indonesia. Chinese and Hong Kong stocks listed on the Hong Kong Stock Exchange also contributed positively. In contrast, the Gulf Cooperation Council (GCC) countries were the weakest performers, dragged down by softness in Saudi Arabian equities.³

On the fixed-income side, global bonds, as measured by the Bloomberg Global Aggregate Bond Index, declined 0.4% in U.S. dollar terms. In the U.S., high-yield bonds were the only sector to post positive returns, while investment-grade corporate bonds were essentially flat. U.S. Treasuries and mortgage-backed securities (MBS) recorded losses, as yields rose across all maturities of three months or more.

Specifically, yields on 2-, 3-, 5-, and 10-year Treasury notes increased by 0.29%, 0.29%, 0.24%, and 0.24%, respectively, ending the month at 3.89%, 3.87%, 3.96%, and 4.41%.⁴ The U.S. Treasury yield curve shifted into positive territory, with 10-year yields surpassing those of 3-month bills.

Platformization is the integration of a collection of often patchworked security tools, technologies, and services into a unified, centralized platform. 

By consolidating disparate security functions into a unified framework, platformization not only optimizes operations but also enables organizations to adopt a defense-in-depth strategy. This multi-layered approach can strengthen email, endpoint, network, and cloud environments, creating a robust defense that shields every aspect of the business.  

Platformization can also deliver measurable, long-term investment and return by reducing the total cost of ownership, improving decision-making with centralized visibility, and accelerating response times to emerging threats. Beyond fortifying an organization’s defense, this unified approach directly drives enhanced business agility, scalability, and growth. Businesses can optimize resources, boost operations, and align security with broader organizational objectives by seamlessly integrating security across all layers. 

This strategic shift empowers the C-suite to make data-driven decisions with confidence, ultimately enhancing operational efficiency, fostering innovation, and enabling faster time-to-market for new initiatives.   

The road to implementing a unified security platform can pose challenges and pitfalls. Every company has unique challenges—but here are five universal, practical steps that all can take to transition from a fragmented system to a unified one: 

Evaluate your people, tools, and processes through a comprehensive audit. Identify gaps, redundancies, and inefficiencies across your cybersecurity, network, and cloud infrastructure. This baseline reveals integration opportunities and areas for consolidation.

Select a platform that fits your risk profile and operational needs:

• Single vendor suite: Simplified management but less flexibility.
• Mix-and-match approach: Customizable but more complex.
• Outsourced partner: Hands-off management with external expertise but requires trust.

Consolidate and remove redundant tools while enhancing your platform with advanced features and automation. This simplifies your security stack, improves visibility, and drives cost efficiency.

Regularly update your platform to keep pace with evolving threats. Adapt your incident response strategy and ensure scalability—especially if working with an external partner—to future-proof your cybersecurity.

Collaborate with a managed security service provider (MSSP) for expert guidance. An experienced partner can manage platform integration, help ensure compliance, and provide ongoing support to strengthen your cybersecurity posture.