Unexpected developments from Asia significantly influenced global financial markets last week. China’s surprise stimulus measures invigorated investor sentiment, leading to substantial gains in Chinese and Hong Kong equities, as well as strengthening Chinese Yuan. This positive shift boosted commodity-linked currencies, with New Zealand Dollar and Australian Dollar emerging as the top performers for the week….
Risk-on sentiment continues to dominate global financial markets today, driven by widespread monetary easing and a significant boost from China’s latest stimulus measures. US equities finished strong overnight, with all major indexes posting gains. S&P 500 hit a fresh record for the third consecutive time this week. Meanwhile, Germany’s DAX also surged to an all-time…
Asian markets are maintaining a risk-on tone today, despite the lackluster US market performance overnight. Sentiment remains buoyed by China’s recent monetary stimulus measures, even as doubts linger about their overall effectiveness due to the absence of significant fiscal support. Nevertheless, stocks in Hong Kong and China continue to trade higher. In Japan, Nikkei is…
Australian Dollar surged broadly today following RBA’s decision to leave interest rates unchanged at 4.35%, as widely expected. What caught the market’s attention was RBA’s continued focus on inflation risks, making it clear that the central bank is not considering a rate cut anytime soon. During the post-meeting press conference, Governor Michele Bullock downplayed the…
Euro took a sharp dive today following disappointing PMI data that fueled fresh speculation about ECB potentially moving up its anticipated rate cut. Markets had been bracing for a December cut, timed with the release of new economic forecasts. However, the mounting risks of stagnation and even recession in the Eurozone have prompted discussions that…
Dollar finished last week on the back foot, reacting to Fed’s decision to cut rates by 50 bps. While the greenback lost ground to most major rivals, its decline was relatively modest. Notably, Dollar managed to close higher against both Japanese Yen and Swiss Franc, and it continued to hold above key near term support…
Sterling surged notably today and reached its highest level against Dollar since March 2022. The move followed BoE’s decision to hold interest rates steady as expected. The surprise came from Deputy Governor Dave Ramsden, who chose not to vote for a rate cut. The overall tone from BoE suggests that while further rate cuts are…
Market reactions were indecisive after Fed’s much-anticipated rate cut overnight. The initial optimism that sparked a rally in US stocks quickly fizzled out, with major indexes closing in the red, while Treasury yields staged a recovery. The reaction was somewhat anticlimactic but understandable given the unusually high level of uncertainty surrounding this FOMC meeting. In…
Sterling strengthened across the board today after UK CPI data revealed reacceleration in core inflation. The uptick in core CPI provides additional support for hawkish members of the BoE’s MPC, bolstering the case for a rate hold at tomorrow’s decision. A rate cut is still expected in November, when new economic projections will be available….
The much-anticipated FOMC day has finally arrived, and the financial world is eagerly waiting to see if Fed will opt for a 25bps or a more assertive 50bps rate cut. With market expectations split nearly down the middle, and likely some internal divergence within FOMC itself, the outcome is poised to trigger significant market volatility…
