Soaring energy prices raised recession alarm bells around the world. But another economic indicator is starting to look threatening: The yield curve is flattening. Wall Street closely watches the difference, or spread, between short-term government bond yields, most notably the 2-year Treasury, and longer-term bond rates like the 10-year Treasury.As …
Read More »Gold Pressured Into Critical Daily Support Near USD 1,950
Gold is lower despite risk-off themes at the start of the week. Russia was on Ukraine is driving the sentiment and the US dollar higher. As US yields rally to their highest levels since July 2019, the gold price is weakening in early afternoon US trade and is losing some …
Read More »Market Drivers – US Session – 3 March
Risk aversion has been leading most assets amid the war fogs and indecisive peace talks in Eastern Europe. Economic DataEarlier on Thursday, the headline ISM Services PMI reading slid to 56.5 in February from 59.9 in January, below the expected rise to 61.0, according to the latest release by the …
Read More »US Shares Pare Down Intra-day Losses
US equities maintained mixed performance on Thursday and defined more by rotation from growth into value than risk-on or risk-off. The S&P 500 recovered most of an intra-day drop of nearly 1.0%, but remains capped under 4400. US equity market trade has been more defined by rotation from high multiple …
Read More »Powell: There will be upward pressure on inflation for a while
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell, in the second day of his semi-annual testimony before the US Congress, said that the rise in energy prices will work its way through to the US economy and there will subsequently be upwards pressure on inflation for a while. Key Quotes:“We could see people …
Read More »EUR/USD Hits Resistance As Markets Focus On Ukraine
EUR/USD is stalling on its advance in later trade on Wall Street as the price moves into what would be expected to act as a resistance area on the hourly chart. At 1.1129, the price is trading near flat on the day after climbing from a low of 1.1057 to …
Read More »Treasury yields rose on Powell’s Rate Hike Hints
The 10-year Treasury yield climbed above 1.8% Wednesday as Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell offered an unusual degree of transparency for a Fed Chair, indicating that he endorses a quarter-percentage point increase when the central bank concludes its two-day policy meeting on March 16. Wednesday’s trading brought a respite to …
Read More »Powell: Fed needs to move away from stimulative monetary policy
US Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, testifying before Congress on the first day of his semi-annual speech, said that it is time to move away from highly stimulative monetary policy settings.Monetary policy cannot address supply-side challenges and constraints, Powell added, stressing that “The US economy is very strong, the labor …
Read More »MPR Expects Fed will soon raise FFR target range
The US Federal Reserve on Friday released its semiannual Monetary Policy Report (MPR), which it normally does one week ahead of Fed Chair Jerome Powell’s semiannual testimony before the US Congress. The report reiterated the Fed’s policy guidance that it will soon be appropriate to raise the target range for …
Read More »Could Russia-Ukraine Crisis Grant Powell A Softer Landing?
Although several Wall Street banks and traders expected the Fed to chart a very aggressive course in normalizing policy due to surging inflation, that outlook has shifted amid the heightened tensions in Europe. Some observers suggest that Fed could adopt a less hawkish stance on the backdrop of the prevalent …
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