US equities ended Friday slightly lower, closing a solid year-end rally as investors anticipated Fed rate cuts in the year ahead. S&P 500 weekly performance (Source: Bloomberg) Equities have risen strongly in the last months of the year. The S&P 500, the Dow, and the Nasdaq recorded nine consecutive weeks of gains. For the S&P Read More…
Fundamental Analysis
Gold Prices Rise on Optimism for March Federal Reserve Cut
Gold prices rose on Thursday as US economic data heightened expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in March next year. Data revealed a 4.9% annualized growth in US gross domestic product for the last quarter, a revision from the initially reported 5.2%. Moreover, there was a slight increase in weekly jobless claims. Spot Read More…
Oil Prices Settle Higher Amidst Global Tensions
On Wednesday, oil prices settled slightly higher amid concerns over global trade disruption. There were attacks on ships in the Red Sea by Yemen’s Iran-aligned Houthi forces. Meanwhile, a surprise US crude inventory build, larger-than-expected fuel stock gains, and record domestic oil production limited price gains. The US Energy Information Administration reported increases in US Read More…
Equities Extend Gains on Federal Reserve’s Dovish Pivot
On Tuesday, US equities continued their rally, propelled by the Federal Reserve’s recent dovish policy shift. All three major US stock indexes gained, pushing the S&P 500 close to its January 2022 all-time closing high. If the S&P 500 goes above this level, it would confirm a bull market since its low hit in October Read More…
Equities on the Rise as Investors Bet on Federal Reserve Rate Cuts
On Monday, US equities rose as investors anticipated interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve next year. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq recorded solid gains, while the Dow remained flat. Tom Hainlin, national investment strategist at US Bank Wealth Management, noted that the market expected the Fed to cut interest rates next year. This is Read More…
Currency Futures Falter as Williams Bucks Rate Cut Expectations
On Friday, currency futures pulled back from recent highs as Federal Reserve Bank of New York President John Williams opposed market expectations for a rate cut. At the same time, the dollar strengthened. However, it still had its worst weekly performance in a month. Dollar risk reversal (Source: Bloomberg) The dollar’s decline last week followed Read More…