As traders bet on a rebound following the most recent pullback, WTI oil was able to settle back above the $76 mark. The price of WTI crude oil has increased by +2.70% to $76.78. At $80.14, Brent crude has increased by +2.45%. As news of a lightning strike at the …
Read More »Market Drivers – US Session 12/04/2023
Stock losses accelerated Wednesday afternoon when the minutes of the Mar 21-22 FOMC meeting showed policymakers projected a “mild recession” starting later in 2023. The minutes of the FOMC meeting on March 21–22 revealed that policymakers reduced their forecasts for rate increases this year, noting that “many participants had lowered …
Read More »Friday’s NFP reading to set the scene for noteworthy scenarios
On Friday, when markets are closed worldwide for Easter, the official US jobs report will be released. The increase in nonfarm payrolls for March is anticipated to be 240,000. The trade volume on Friday is probably going to be thin, with volatility spiking around the NFP report. There won’t be …
Read More »Stocks close lower as Wall Street regains stability
While Wall Street regains some stability at the close of what has been a turbulent month, stocks were divided on Tuesday. The S&P 500 fell 6.26 points, or 0.2%, to 3,971.27 even though the vast majority of the index’s companies increased. The Nasdaq composite dropped 52.76, or 0.4%, to 11,716.08 …
Read More »BOE hikes policy rate by 25 bps to 4.25% in March
Following its March policy meeting, the Bank of England (BOE) announced that it raised the policy rate by 25 basis points (bps) to 4.25% as expected. Two policymakers, Tenreyro and Dhingra, vote to keep the policy rate on hold at 4%. “If there were to be evidence of more persistent pressures, then …
Read More »Fed’s Powell set the scene for tighter conditions, faster rate hikes
According to Fed Chair Jerome Powell, the Fed is ready to take more drastic action if the “totality” of incoming data shows that more stringent policies are needed to manage inflation. In response to recent good statistics, the Federal Reserve will probably need to increase interest rates more than expected.“The …
Read More »Recession woes drag Consumer confidence lower in February
The US Consumer-confidence index drops to 102.9 in February. High inflation and rising interest rates are making Americans more worried about a possible recession. The reading is the outcome of a survey of consumer confidence that fell to a three-month low of 102.9 in February, signaling worries about the future …
Read More »Fed’s Mester: A recession could happen as rates rise
Cleveland Fed President Loretta Mester said as the Federal Reserve’s higher interest rates slow the economy, a recession may result, though it’s not part of her baseline forecast and is not what the central bank wants.US Dollar Index prints mild gains around 104.15 as bulls flirt with the six-week high …
Read More »Breaking: BOE hikes policy rate by 50 bps to 4% as expected
Following its February policy meeting, the Bank of England (BoE) announced that it raised the policy rate by 50 basis points (bps) to 4% as expected. Economists suggest this move could be the last big rate increase for Britain’s central bank, which has approved 10 consecutive hikes since a post-pandemic surge in …
Read More »US economy grows at an annual rate of 2.9% in Q4
The US economy expanded at an annualized rate of 2.9% in the fourth quarter, the US Bureau of Economic Analysis’ (BEA) first estimate showed on Thursday. This reading followed the 3.2% growth recorded in the third quarter and came in slightly better than the market expectation for an expansion of …
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