Tag Archives: Federal Reserve

Interview with David Morgan: Part II of II Claudio Grass (CG): During the first wave of lockdowns and travel bans we saw a lot of disruptions in the physical precious metal market. With delivery delays and logistics problems, has the situation fully normalized today for physical silver, or are you seeing shortages? David Morgan (DM): We are still seeing shortages. I mean, the amount of investment demand set a record in 2020 and has remained robust in 2021. The pressure on the...

Swiss Franc The Euro has risen by 0.05% to 1.1031 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, April 29 Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates Overview:  The market’s initial reaction to the Federal Reserve statement and the press conference was that it was dovish: the 10-year yield slipped, and the dollar was sold to new lows.  In fact, the two countries that appear to be ahead of the curve among high-income countries, Canada and Norway, saw their currencies rally to new...

Swiss Franc The Euro has fallen by 0.02% to 1.104 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, April 28(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates Overview: It appears that the backing up of US yields is giving the dollar a better tone and challenging the Eurosystem, which has stepped up its bond purchases. The US 10-year yield is around 1.65%, roughly a two-week high and back above the 20-day moving average. European yields are mostly 2-4...

Swiss Franc The Euro has fallen by 0.07% to 1.0997 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, April 12(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates Overview: Risk appetites have not returned from the weekend. Equities are heavy, and bond yields softer. The dollar is drifting lower in Europe. China’s unusually candid admission of the shortcomings of its vaccine and record new cases in India saw all the equity markets in the region fall. Only...

The benchmark 10-year US Treasury has obtained some bids. Not long ago the certain harbinger of bond rout doom, the long end maybe has joined the rest of the world in its global pause if somewhat later than it had begun elsewhere (including, importantly, its own TIPS real yield backyard). Even nearer-in inflation expectations have rounded off at their current top. Perhaps no more than a short-term rest before each rising again, then again with the rest of the...

Swiss Franc The Euro has risen by 0.17% to 1.1068 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, March 18(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates Overview: Asia Pacific equities mostly advanced after the US benchmarks recovered following the dovish FOMC. Australia, New Zealand, and India did not participate in today’s gains. European bourses edged higher, but US shares are struggling, and the NASDAQ futures are off nearly 1%, threatening...

While the global inflation picture remains fixed at firmly normal (as in, disinflationary), US retail sales by contrast have been highly abnormal. You’d think given that, the consumer price part of the economic equation would, well, equate eventually price-wise. Consumers are spending, prices should be heading upward at a noticeable rate. To begin with, consumer spending – as pictured by the Census Bureau – was obviously boosted during January by the previous...

The coronavirus has dominated all of our lives in recent months. Radical paths were taken by politicians in the form of lockdowns to contain the pandemic. But we should recognize that even if the coronavirus is a (major) challenge for us, we always have to keep a holistic view of world events. Just as there are epidemiological factors to consider in this crisis, there are also economic, social, cultural, political and other health factors at play. It is precisely...

Swiss Franc The Euro has risen by 0.26% to 1.1122 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, March 4(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates Overview: Equities are under pressure following yesterday’s sharp losses in the US. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index suffered its biggest decline of the week today as Japanese, Chinese, and Hong Kong benchmarks slid by more than 2%. The Dow Jones Stoxx 600 Index in Europe is buckling under the pressure...

The two day rise in the gold price of more than US$50 fizzled out on Tuesday. The gold price is down about 7% (in US dollar terms) since its year-to-date high set on January 6. It is also down 13% from its all-time high set in August 2020. The silver price, boosted by social media attention, did not set its year-to-date high until February 1. Since then the silver price has slid about 5% from that high. Chairman Powell testified to Congress on Tuesday stating that...