Market Update

The Japanese Nikkei index closed trading lower and reached its lowest level in more than two months, Wednesday, August 16, as expectations for the Chinese economy pressured risk appetite, including bank stocks, after a report on a possible downgrade of the rating of major US banks. The Nikkei index fell …

The US Dollar Index exhibits obvious strength. It surged for the fourth day in a row on Tuesday, reaching its highest point in a month. With the help of rising risk aversion and a comeback in Treasury yields, the DXY was able to recoup its losses. Over 1% was lost …

Following the release of official statistics showing a spike in retail sales by American merchants in July, the Treasury rates and the US dollar rose, sending gold prices further downward on Tuesday, closing at their lowest levels in more than a month.Following the release of higher than anticipated Retail Sales …

UK wages excluding bonuses soared to the highest growth rate since 2001, pushing unemployment to 4.2%. The GBP/USD pair surges following Monday’s session, which portrayed a ‘hammer’ formation, suggesting that further upside is expected. UK jobs data overshadowed positive economic data from the United States, as wages grew above estimates, …

After falling to the 145.10 low, the USD/JPY pair is neutrally trading around 145.65 at the time of writing. Strong US retail sales led markets to expect a Fed rate move in November. BoJ’s divergent monetary policies are hurting the yen, which is unable to gain from strong GDP figures.The …

At the time of writing, the price of a barrel of WTI crude oil is $80.292. On the whole, it is down nearly -1.86%. In response to the economy’s sluggish recovery, China’s central bank lowers crucial lending rates, which affects the outlook for global oil consumption. Saudi Arabia and Russia’s …

Dow Jones hardware heavyweight Home Depot reported Q2 results early Tuesday. Rival Lowe’s will announce earnings on August 22. HD stock rose early Tuesday. LOW stock is attempting to reclaim technical support.Homebuilders, a key market for hardware and home improvement retailers, rallied aggressively in 2023. Rising interest rates have slowed …

Minneapolis Federal Reserve President Neel Kashkari said noted on Tuesday that he is feeling good about the progress on inflation but added that it was still too high, per Reuters.“The question is, have we done enough, or do we need to do more,” Kashkari added said that they have been …

The UK unemployment rate rose to 4.2% in the second quarter of 2023, the highest level since late 2021 and above market expectations and the previous level of 4%. This rise was supported by the number of unemployed persons for a period of up to 6 months. The rate of …

According to the German ZEW headline figure, the Economic Sentiment Index improved to -12.3 in August from -14.7 in July. This number was higher than the -14.4 predicted by the market. Similarly, the Eurozone Economic Sentiment Index increased to -5.5 from -12.2 during the same period. On the negative side, …