Market Update

The US central bank is to notch up on Wednesday its efforts to withdraw the stimulus it showered on the US economy after the pandemic upended global economies two years ago. Fed officials are expected to raise the benchmark rate by a half percentage point and approve plans to start …

Data released on Wednesday showed the ISM Service Sector dropped unexpectedly to 57.1 in April. Analysts at Wells Fargo point out that while supply remains a problem for service-producers, a pullback in demand and hiring were the top factors weighing on activity during the month. Key Quotes: “Activity in the …

Canada registered another trade surplus in March, although below expectations: CAD 2.49 billion vs CAD 3.90 billion. Analysts at the National Bank of Canada highlight the trade surplus with the US reached a fresh record high. Key Quotes:“For the ninth time in the past ten months, Canada’s trade balance remained …

The headline ISM Services Purchasing Manager’s Index (PMI) fell to 57.1 in April from 58.3 in March, below expectations for a slight rise to 58.5, according to the latest release by the Institute for Supply Management (ISM). Subindices: The Business Activity Index rises to 59.1 from 55.5 in March. The …

According to the latest figures released on Tuesday by Statistics Canada, the Canadian Trade surplus fell unexpectedly to C$2.49B in March from C$3.08B a month earlier versus expectations for a rise to C$3.9B. Exports were up 6.3% MoM to C$63.63B from C$59.84 a month earlier, while imports were up 7.7% …

Private sector employment in the US rose by 247,000 in April, well below the expected gain of 395,000 jobs, according to US payroll company ADP’s latest estimate of national employment change released on Wednesday. That marked a sharp decline in the rate of job gains after 479,000 were added to the US …

On Wednesday, the dollar index continued to retreat from its highest level in 20 years after it had already digested expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise interest rates by half a point later on Wednesday and about 250 basis points by the end of the year. Currency markets are …

A report seen by Reuters on Wednesday showed that the OPEC + alliance expects a surplus of 1.9 million barrels per day in 2022, an increase of 600,000 barrels per day from previous estimates, amid expectations of a slowdown in oil demand growth this year. The report, which was prepared …

A source familiar with the matter told Reuters on Wednesday that Russian oil exports, excluding those destined for the former Soviet Union, rose to an average of 4.88 million barrels per day in the first four weeks of April, an increase of 2 percent compared to March. The source also …

Oil prices jumped on Wednesday as the European Union, the world’s largest trading bloc, announced plans to phase out Russian oil imports, offsetting fears of declining demand from China, the world’s largest oil importer. By 0746 GMT, Brent crude futures rose $2.94 a barrel, or 2.8 percent, to $107.91 a …