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Markets are gearing themselves up for Friday’s US non-farm payrolls (NFP) jobs report as they normally do, with many traders reducing their market exposure in anticipation of volatility, and others preparing to trade the aftermath of the release. However, this month seems somewhat different from many that have gone before due to a number of factors. Anyone following financial markets will have noticed the constant raft of geopolitical factors affecting market sentiment. For one thing, we have seen US President Donald Trump raise the possibility of a host of drastic risk events, with the heightened chance of a nuclear war with North Korea, and the possibility of a trade war between the US and China. While we have seen some improvements to both stories, we remain within a period where the landscape is changing from one day to the next. This constant shifting on such huge issues has obviously grabbed a lot of market attention, leaving many of the major economic releases seeming like small fry when compared with a nuclear war or all-out trade war.