Overview: The US dollar begins the new week on a firm note ahead of the mid-week conclusion of the FOMC meeting. Many centers are closed for the May Day holiday, making for thinner market conditions. Equities are mostly lower in the markets that traded today. This includes Japan, South Korea, Australia, and India in the Asia Pacific. In Europe, the Stoxx 600, led by a decline in information technology, industrials, and consumer discretionary sectors, is...
Read More »RBA Drops “patience” to Send the Aussie Higher
Overview: The Reserve Bank of Australia hinted that it was getting closer to a rate hike. The Australian dollar was bid to its best level since the middle of last year. Australian stocks advanced in a mixed regional session while China and Hong Kong markets were closed for the local holiday. BOJ Kuroda called the yen’s recent moves “rapid.” The yen is sidelined today as the dollar weakens against other major currencies, led by the Antipodeans. In addition to the...
Read More »Cautious Markets after China Disappoints
Overview: Ukraine’s Mariupol refuses to surrender as the war is turning more brutal according to reports. Iran-backed rebels in Yemen struck half of a dozen sites in Saudi Arabia, driving oil prices higher. China’s prime lending rates were unchanged. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index, which rallied more than 4% last week, traded heavily today though China and Taiwan’s markets managed to post small gains. Tokyo was closed for the spring equinox. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is steady...
Read More »Risk Assets Given a Reprieve
Overview: US equities failed to sustain early gains yesterday, but risk appetites have returned today. Asia Pacific equities had a poor start, with Chinese and Japanese indices losing ground, but the equity benchmarks in Taiwan, Australia, India, and most of the smaller markets traded higher. Taiwan’s 1.1% gain is notable as foreign investors continued to be heavy sellers. Europe’s Stoxx 600 is snapping a four-day drop with an impressive 3.3% gain, led by the...
Read More »European Currencies Continue to Bear the Brunt
Overview: Russia’s invasion of Ukraine and the global response is a game-changer, as Fed Chair Powell told Congress yesterday. The UK-based research group NISER estimated that world output will be cut by 1% next year or $1 trillion, and global inflation will be boosted by three percentage points this year and two next. The recovery in US stocks yesterday may have helped lift Asia Pacific shares today (China and India are notable exceptions). However,...
Read More »The Week Winds Down with Equities under Pressure and the Dollar Mostly Firmer
Overview: The combination of the volatility and a large number of central bank meetings have exhausted market participants, and the holiday phase appears to have begun. Equities are under pressure following the sell-off yesterday in the US. Japan, China, and Hong Kong suffered more than 1.2% losses, while Australia, South Korea, and Taiwan posted minor gains. It was the fifth loss in the past six sessions for the MSCI Asia Pacific Index. Europe's Stoxx 600 is off...
Read More »Has the Market Carried the Fed’s Water? Is the Dollar Vulnerable to Buy the Rumor and Sell the Fact?
Overview: The US dollar is trading with a bit of heavier bias against most of the major currencies as the focus turns to today's FOMC meeting, where a clear consensus has emerged in favor of faster tapering and a dot plot pointing to a steeper pace rate hikes. Emerging market currencies led by Turkey and South Africa are mostly lower. The JP Morgan Emerging Market Currency Index is lower for the third straight session. The US 10-year Treasury yield is flat, near...
Read More »No Turnaround Tuesday for Equities?
Overview: Activity in the capital markets is subdued today, ahead of tomorrow's FOMC meeting conclusion and the ECB meeting on Thursday. The MSCI Asia Pacific equity index fell for the third consecutive session. European bourses are heavy after the Stoxx 600 posted an outside down day yesterday. Today would be the fifth consecutive decline. Selling pressure on the US futures indices continues after yesterday's losses. Australia and New Zealand bonds played...
Read More »Dollar Starts the Week Bid ahead of the FOMC
Overview: Equities, bonds, and the dollar begin the new week on a firm note. Japanese, Chinese, Australian, and New Zealand equities advanced in the Asia Pacific region. Europe's Stoxx 600 is snapping a three-day decline, and US futures are 0.25%-0.35% higher. The US 10-year yield is a little softer at 1.48%. European benchmark yields are mostly 1-2 bp lower, and near 0.71%, the UK Gilt's yield is at a three-month low. The dollar is rising against all the major...
Read More »FX Daily, December 02: Calm Surface Masks Lack of Conviction
Swiss Franc The Euro has risen by 0.09% to 1.0587 EUR/CHF and USD/CHF, December 2(see more posts on EUR/CHF, USD/CHF, ) Source: markets.ft.com - Click to enlarge FX Rates Overview: The downside reversal in US stocks yesterday seemed to accelerate after the first case of the Omicron variant was found in the US. In itself, it should not be surprising, but perhaps, what was especially disheartening is that the person had been fully vaccinated. The S&P 500...
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