Is US Economy Entering A New Normal? Policymakers are wrestling with the reality that the pandemic may mark a turning point in the nation’s economic plot. The pandemic, and now the war in Ukraine, have altered how America’s economy functions. While economists have spent months waiting for conditions to return …
Read More »Market Drivers – US Session – 23 March
The dollar featured mixed performance on Wednesday, as investors struggled to make something out of mostly worrisome headlines. Higher crude oil prices amid escalating tensions between Russia and western nations dented the market’s mood.Economic DataThe flash estimate of March Eurozone Consumer Confidence dropped to two year low at -18.7 in …
Read More »US Treasury Yields Ease As Market Ponders Recession Signals
A sharp selloff in US Treasuries eased on Wednesday as the market tries to come to grips with how the Federal Reserve might address rising inflation without hiking interest rates at such a clip it spins the economy into recession.Yields were lower across the curve, from two-year notes out to …
Read More »Fred’s Bullard: US economy will continue to grow above trend 2022-2023
St. Louis Federal Reserve President James Bullard, who on Friday called for a dramatic increase in the Fed’s overnight lending rate to more than 3% this year, is crossing the wires with the following comments dripping through:Key Qoutes: Russia’s war will mean less globalization, more fragmentation around the worldDirect macroeconomic …
Read More »USD/CHF Struggles at 0.9350
The Swiss franc benefits amid a risk-off market mood, as reflected by the USD/CHF down 0.25%. Falling US Treasury yields, led by the 10-year, underpin the USD/CHF pair.Overnight, the USD/CHF reached a daily high at 0.9357, but a risk-off market mood, which benefitted the low-yielder Swiss franc, impeded USD bulls …
Read More »Fed’s Mester Sees Need for Some Half-Point Rate Hikes This Year
Federal Reserve Bank of Cleveland President Loretta Mester says she supports front-loading interest-rate increases this year, likely including some half percentage-point hikes, to curb the hottest inflation in four decades.“I think we’re going to need to do some 50 basis-point moves,” Mester said on a call with reporters Wednesday. “I …
Read More »USD/CAD Remains Firm Amid Russia – Ukraine’s Concerns
The Canadian dollar remains firm versus the American counterpart, with the USD/CAD down 0.37% in the week.Russia/Ukraine woes and US central bank hawkishness could not stop CAD bulls from extending USD/CAD losses. USD/CAD drop extends to seven straight days amid a risk-off market mood in the equity markets, which has …
Read More »WTI touches fresh weekly highs around $114.00
The oil bulls remain in control with WTI up more than $5.0 on the day in the $114.00 area. WTI has now recovered more than 50% of its pullback from multi-year highs near $130 to $93 earlier this month. Traders have cited a major Russian pipeline outage, a bullish US …
Read More »Powell: Digital Currencies Will Require New Regulations
Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that new forms of digital money such as cryptocurrencies and stablecoins present risks to the US financial system and will require new rules to protect consumersPowell, speaking Wednesday on a panel organized by the Bank for International Settlements, a global organization of central …
Read More »Fed’s Daly: Want to get rates to about 2.5% at least, inflation is top of mind
San Francisco Fed President and FOMC member Mary Daly said on Wednesday that she wants to march rates to about 2.5% given that inflation is at the top of her mind, reported Reuters. The real neutral rate is about 0.5%, meaning the nominal rate is around 2.5%, Daly noted, adding …
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