The actual figure for US retail expenditure in January much above even the most optimistic projection, contrary to what economists had anticipated. Yet, for the time being, the Federal Reserve’s vigorous campaign to manage inflation by lowering economic activity is failing. Retail sales spiked 3.0% last month after reports that …
Read More »Market Drivers – US Session 15/02/2023
The dollar benefited from renewed concerns about the continued US Federal Reserve’s monetary tightening spurring risk aversion. As American inflation eased just modestly in January, hopes for a Fed’s pivot faded. The United States published Retail Sales on Wednesday, which surged by 3% MoM in January, much better than anticipated. …
Read More »Oil Falls After Massive Crude Inventory Build Confirmed By EIA
Crude oil prices fell on Wednesday after the U.S. Energy Information Administration reported an inventory build of 16.3 million barrels for the week to February 10.This compared with a build of 2.4 million barrels for the previous week, extending a string of weekly builds, some of them quite sizeable, which …
Read More »Explainer: Lael Brainard Departs Powell’s Team For A Key Role In Biden’s Team
Fed Vice Chair Lael Brainard’s departure to the White House stimulated speculation over who will replace her as all policymakers weigh how much further to raise interest rates.Fed watchers wasted no time in coming up with some names of their own after Brainard’s name surfaced last month as a major …
Read More »China ponders downgrading Covid status
China said today that US high altitude balloons flew over its Xinjiang and Tibet regions, and it will take measures against US entities that undermine Chinese sovereignty as a diplomatic dispute festered. China said earlier this week that US balloons had flown over its airspace without permission more than 10 …
Read More »Gold fell amid concerns after US inflation data
Gold prices fell on Wednesday with the rise of the dollar after data showed that inflation rose in the United States last month at the slowest pace since late 2021, which increased investor concerns about the Federal Reserve (US Central Bank) continuing to tighten monetary policy. Spot gold prices fell …
Read More »Market Drivers – US Session, Assets React To Tuesday’s CPI
Almost all financial markets traded with an optimistic yet cautious mode throughout the first half of the day, as investors awaited the release of US inflation figures. Economic DataThe United States Consumer Price Index rose at an annualized pace of 6.4% in January, better than the previous 6.5% but missing …
Read More »USD/JPY reclaims 133.00 after CPI data
The USD/JPY pair registers gains of 0.50%, above the 133.00 mark. US inflation data, though mixed, triggered the recent US Treasury bond yields’ jump, pushing the USD/JPY forward.The USD/JPY reached a new YTD high of 133.13, though it failed to cling to those gains, retracing beneath last week’s high of …
Read More »Fed’s Logan: Must be prepared to keep interest rate hikes for longer than anticipated
“We must remain prepared to continue rate increases for a longer period than previously anticipated, if such a path is necessary to respond to changes in the economic outlook or to offset any undesired easing in conditions,” Dallas Federal Reserve President Lorie Logan said on Tuesday.The US dollar Index showed …
Read More »US inflation declines only slowly, Fed cannot be satisfied
These are undoubtedly the beliefs of some investors, who ignore slight increases in annual inflation rates because they believe the downward trend will continue. That means that markets are in a risk-on mode. The Core Consumer Price Index (Core CPI), which increased by 0.4% MoM in January as predicted, is …
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