Wall Street Banks: A Tide of Profits Lifted All BoatsThe fourth quarter of 2024 witnessed a surge in profitability for major Wall Street banks, driven by a confluence of favorable factors. Morgan Stanley, the bellwether of the industry, led the charge with a more than doubling of profits, fueled by …
Read More »Dollar Steadies Amid Bond Yield Drop as Markets Brace for Trump’s Inflationary Policies
The U.S. dollar held its ground on Thursday, even as U.S. bond yields fell sharply following better-than-expected inflation data. Market participants have now turned their focus to next week’s inauguration of President-elect Donald Trump and the anticipated inflationary effects of his economic policies. The U.S. Dollar Index, which measures the …
Read More »Global Markets Surge Amid Inflation Relief and Robust Earnings
Global markets rallied on Thursday, continuing the momentum sparked by Wednesday’s encouraging U.S. inflation data and strong corporate earnings across multiple sectors. Key Highlights Earnings Boost Confidence Richemont (SIX:CFR): Shares of the luxury goods maker soared 17%, marking its best single-day performance in 17 years, following results that exceeded expectations. …
Read More »European Stock Markets Edge Higher Amid Optimism on U.S. Inflation and Earnings
European stock markets extended their gains on Thursday, buoyed by easing inflation in the U.S., which reinforced hopes for potential Federal Reserve rate cuts. However, weaker-than-expected UK economic growth and rising German consumer prices slightly tempered enthusiasm. Market Overview Germany’s DAX: Up 0.3% France’s CAC 40: Gained 0.7% UK’s FTSE …
Read More »US Stocks Rally on Cooling Core Inflation, Banks’ Earnings in Focus
Both the CPI data and the results from a few major financials are celebrated by the major US stock indices. When the CPI and PPI are combined, analysts predict that the core PCE will be announced later this month at 0.19%, slightly below the 0.2% threshold. The MoM’s three- and …
Read More »Dollar Slumps as Core Inflation Cools, Yen Soars
The USD/JPY plummeted over 1% in early North American trading as the latest US inflation data showed a deceleration in core prices. This unexpected cooling of inflation sent US Treasury yields tumbling and boosted the Japanese Yen. The US Bureau of Labour Statistics reported that consumer prices rose 0.4% …
Read More »US Inflation Aligns with Expectations as Core Prices Ease
US consumer prices rose in line with expectations in December, while an underlying measure was slower than anticipated. This closely-watched gauge of inflation could influence the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy plans in the coming months. The headline consumer price index (CPI) increased by 0.4% in December, slightly higher than …
Read More »Oil Prices Rise Amid Russian Sanctions Focus and US Stockpile Drop
Oil prices edged higher on Wednesday, recovering some losses from the previous session as the market turned its attention to potential supply disruptions from sanctions on Russian tankers. Gains, however, were tempered by uncertainty surrounding their impact. Brent crude futures rose 51 cents, or 0.6%, to $80.43 a barrel by …
Read More »December CPI Report: Will Inflation Dash Hopes for Rate Cuts in 2025?
Financial markets experienced a significant downturn after the release of the December jobs report. This was largely due to a surge in the dollar and bond yields, but anticipation of the upcoming Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation report for December likely also played a role.Base effects could cause year-on-year inflation …
Read More »XAU/USD Benefits From Softer USD Post-PPI Data
Gold prices extended gains on Tuesday after U.S. inflation data came in slightly weaker than expected, giving investors faint hope that the Federal Reserve would continue on its rate-easing path this year, sending the dollar lower. Spot gold gained 0.3% to $2,671.27 per ounce. US gold futures settled 0.1% higher …
Read More »