Currency futures were mixed on Friday amid varied economic reports. At the same time, the dollar ended its recent winning streak. Still, it was a bullish week for the dollar because Fed rate cut bets went down with more positive data and hawkish remarks from Fed officials. US consumer sentiment (Source: University of Michigan) The Read More…
On Thursday, oil prices rose as the International Energy Agency and the OPEC producer group predicted robust growth in global oil demand. At the same time, severe winter weather disrupted US crude output. Moreover, the government reported a significant weekly decrease in crude inventories. There was a larger-than-expected draw in crude inventories, totaling 2.5 million Read More…
On Wednesday, Wall Street equities closed lower as December US retail sales data beat expectations. These sales figures dampened hopes for an early start to the Fed’s rate-cut campaign in March. The optimistic sales report on Wednesday prompted economists to revise upward their growth estimates for the fourth quarter. Moreover, the report comes after solid Read More…
On Monday, European equities closed lower as government bond yields increased, following warnings from ECB officials against premature rate cuts. Meanwhile, the US equity market was closed due to a public holiday. Government bond yields rose across the region after ECB’s chief economist Philip Lane cautioned on Saturday that rapid rate cuts could lead to Read More…
On Friday, currency futures fell despite a drop in US producer prices in December, increasing the likelihood of an early US rate cut. At the same time, the dollar fell after rising during the day due to safety buying following US and British military actions in Yemen. US producer prices (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics) Read More…
On Thursday, gold dropped to a one-month low as the dollar rose due to hotter-than-expected inflation data. Moreover, hawkish remarks from Fed officials raised concerns that higher interest rates might continue beyond March. The dollar index rose after US consumer prices rose more than anticipated in December because it potentially delays an anticipated US rate Read More…
