Oil prices weakened Monday as supply problems in Kazakhstan and Libya eased, while concerns grew about the rapid rise of Omicron cases in China, the second largest economy in the world. West Texas Intermediate, the benchmark for US crude, settled down by 67 cents, or 0.9%, at $78.24 per barrel. …
Read More »Tuesday’s Powell Testimony Remarks Released
Federal Reserve Jerome Powell will appear before the Senate for his official reappointment hearing on Tuesday. In prepared remarks he will state that the “economy is expanding at its fastest pace in many years, labor market is strong”. On Monday, Powell’s prepared remarks for reappointment confirmation hearing were released. Powell …
Read More »Could Omicron Worsen Labour Shortage, Slows Economy, Boost Inflation?
The majority of grocery stores have had trouble stocking up during the pandemic due to shortages of supplies and labour. Omicron is adding to the present trouble. Canceled flights, bare shelves at grocery stores, reduced bus schedules and schools closed due to staff shortages are only a few examples.The rapid …
Read More »Gold Falling Under Pressure Of Stronger US Dollar
Pressured by the rise of the US dollar, gold reversed its uptrend on Monday to record a drop to 1793 dollars per ounce, compared to the last closing, which recorded 1795 dollars per ounce.The precious metal rose to its highest level throughout the first trading session of this week at …
Read More »Goldman Now Expects Four Fed Hikes This Year
Goldman Sachs expects the US Federal Reserve to raise interest rates 4 times this year, in March, June, September and December, according to Bloomberg. Rapid progress in the US labour market and hawkish signals in minutes from the Dec 14-15 Federal Open Market Committee suggest faster normalisation, Goldman’s Jan Hatzius said in …
Read More »Gold Price Settled Near Its Lowest Level in Three Weeks
Gold settled on Monday near its lowest level in three weeks, as traders awaited US inflation data for the month of December, which may boost expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates sooner than expected after weak data on the US employment rate. There was little change in …
Read More »Weekly Recap 3 – 7 Jan.
The last trading week ended with a decline in the US dollar as risk appetite improved with optimism around Omicron, in addition to data out of the USA. As a result, the dollar index, which measures the strength of the US currency against a basket of currencies, fell to 95.7. …
Read More »Market Drivers – US Session – 7 January
Nonfarm Payrolls relatively disappointed prior estimates, but the labor market indicators were stronger than expected. The employment data has had a modest impact on the forex market. In the light of the NFP data, the US Fed is very determined to move out of easing policy settings.Economic DataNonfarm Payrolls (NFP) …
Read More »What 2022 Will Bring For Cryptocurrency Investors
The first seven days of 2022 have not been kind to bitcoin, as the most famous cryptocurrency lost 11% of its value within days and finished this week at about $42,000; down almost 40% from its all-time high in 2021’s fall.Other digital coins including ethereum and ripple also fell this …
Read More »What Surprises Could US Stocks Encounter Next Week?
Inflation, rising rates and the Federal Reserve could lash US stocks next week. After a sharp jump in bond yields with the new year, rising rates could again impose a different tone on the stocks next week. Powell and Brainard’s TestimonyBig events, for newt week, include testimony by Federal Reserve …
Read More »