Equities closed higher on Monday as investors gained confidence that the Federal Reserve will cut rates sometime this year. Moreover, better-than-expected earnings reports from US companies continued to support the market. S&P 500 (Source: Bloomberg) Since last week, equities have performed well as policymakers and economic reports point to an eventual Fed rate cut this Read More…
Currency futures surged on Friday as the dollar plunged after a poor jobs report. The report revealed a deterioration in the labor market that led to an increase in Fed rate cut expectations. At the same time, data from the US showed a decline in service sector activity, weighing on the dollar. US employment data Read More…
Interest futures rose on Thursday as markets applauded Powell’s less hawkish tone after the FOMC policy meeting. At the same time, investors were gearing up for April’s US employment figures, which will give more direction on Fed rate cuts. Going into the FOMC meeting, there were concerns that policymakers would be more hawkish than usual. Read More…
Oil prices fell on Wednesday after a surprise jump in US crude inventories. Additionally, the Fed policy meeting ended with a hawkish note, meaning more rate-cut delays. At the same time, there was hope in the market of a ceasefire in the Middle East war, which weighed on prices. The EIA reported that US crude Read More…
Gold prices fell over 1% on Tuesday due to a rally in the dollar and Treasury yields. Nevertheless, prices ended a third month of gains amid increased demand. US employment costs (Source: US Bureau of Labor Statistics) The dollar and Treasury yields soared Tuesday after upbeat employment data. The US Labor Department reported a higher-than-expected Read More…
Equities ended higher on Monday amid earnings optimism and a rally in Tesla and Apple shares. At the same time, investors were preparing for the FOMC policy meeting and the all-important nonfarm payrolls report. According to data, 78.1% of the S&P 500 companies that have reported earnings have exceeded expectations on Wall Street, showing better-than-expected Read More…
Currency futures fell on Friday as the dollar rose after inflation data in the US led to a drop in Fed’s rate cut expectations. The US released its Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index report, which showed inflation increased by 0.3% in March as expected. This was the same rate of increase in the previous Read More…
Interest futures fell on Thursday after a poor US GDP report. At the same time, downward pressure came from a rally in Treasury yields amid signs that US inflation remains high. Consequently, investors are keen to see the outcome of the core PCE price index report on Friday. US GDP, core PCE price index (Source: Read More…
Oil prices fell on Wednesday as investors shifted their focus from Middle East tensions to demand concerns. This shift came as the risk of an escalation in the conflict between Israel and Iran fell. Meanwhile, poor economic data from the US raised concerns about weak demand in the country. WTI, crude inventories (Source: Bloomberg, EIA) Read More…
Gold prices closed nearly flat on Tuesday after falling to a two-week low due to the loss of safe-haven demand. Moreover, investors turned their focus back to US economic data and the outlook for Fed interest rates. From the start of the week, risk appetite improved as Middle East tensions subsided. As a result, investors Read More…
