The seasonally-adjusted Trade Balance in New Zealand increased to $-11.99 billion YoY at the end of February, from the previous period’s $-12.62 billion. This was due to a little dip in January that was followed by a rise in both imports and exports in February. New Zealand’s trade gap, also …
Read More »US stocks rose for the second day in a row following Powell’s remarks
US stocks have continued to rise since the beginning of the North American trading on Thursday, with a boost of optimism left by expectations of an official interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve following the Fed’s announcement to keep the interest rate at the same levels without change one …
Read More »Sterling retreats on Dovish BoE, Stronger US Dollar
The major central banks’ monetary policy announcements cause the pound sterling to plunge sharply against the US dollar, hitting a new low that hasn’t been seen in two weeks. The market took a wrong turn on Thursday after the Bank of England became more dovish. As of this writing, the …
Read More »Gold Retreats on Stronger US Dollar, Surging T-Yields
On Thursday, the price of gold fell again, giving up some of its previous gains. The US dollar strengthened and US Treasury yields increased throughout this decline. The market’s change was influenced by the Federal Reserve’s decision on monetary policy on Wednesday. Even if the Fed recognized a robust economy …
Read More »Congress Unveils Spending Plan to Avoid Partial Government Shutdown
Congress finally revealed a $1.1 trillion spending plan to finance homeland security, defense, and other initiatives after many days of delays. Though Congress have less than 48 hours to take action, this move is an attempt to avoid a partial US government shutdown. The deal will be voted on by …
Read More »Turkish Central Bank Surprises Markets with Interest Rate Hike
In a surprising move, the Turkish Central Bank raised its benchmark interest rate by 500 basis points, reaching a staggering 50%. This decision comes in contrast to market expectations of holding rates steady and marks the second meeting under the leadership of the new bank governor, Fatih Karahan. The move …
Read More »Pound Steadies Ahead of Bank of England Meeting
On Thursday, the pound stabilized against the dollar as traders awaited the Bank of England’s meeting, widely anticipated to maintain UK rates, though uncertainty looms over its monetary policy outlook. This week sees a flurry of central bank decisions. Notably, the Bank of Japan surprised markets on Tuesday by abandoning …
Read More »Britain’s Budget Deficit Widens in February Due to Rising Costs and Past Inflation
In February, Britain experienced a larger-than-expected budget deficit, driven by increased cost-of-living payments and the lingering impact of past inflation on public finances, according to official data released on Thursday. The public sector net borrowing, excluding state-owned banks, amounted to £8.401 billion last month, compared to £11.843 billion recorded a …
Read More »Gold Hits Record High on Fed’s Interest Rate Cut Pledge
Gold prices surged to unprecedented levels on Thursday, driven by a decline in the dollar and bond yields following the Federal Reserve’s decision to maintain expectations of three interest rate cuts this year. The allure of gold strengthened as low interest rates diminished the opportunity cost of holding non-yielding bullion …
Read More »Market Drivers – US Session, March 20
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which had earlier risen above 104.00, eventually dropped later on Wednesday after FOMC decision, hitting lows of 103.00s. FOMC decision, to keep interest rate unchanged in March, significantly had an impact on market mood including the performance of US stocks as well as gold prices.Economic …
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