Global Markets

The Federal Reserve is expected to lower interest rates today, but there’s still debate about how much they’ll cut. Markets are leaning towards a half-point cut, with a 63% chance according to the CME FedWatch Tool. This decision comes at a tricky time, as stocks are near record highs, and a smaller cut could create uncertainty. JPMorgan says a quarter-point cut might dampen investor confidence, while BlackRock believes a larger…

Treasury yields are down today as markets await the Federal Reserve's upcoming meeting, where a rate cut is expected. The 2-year Treasury yield dropped to 3.572%, the 10-year to 3.640%, and the 30-year to 3.955%. Recent U.S. economic data, including August’s consumer price index (CPI) rise of 0.2% and a core CPI increase of 0.3%, along with a 0.2% rise in the producer price index (PPI), has influenced rate cut…

Inflation data is taking centre stage this week as attention shifts from the slowing labour market. Economists expect the producer price index (PPI) for July to rise by 0.2%, similar to June's figures, indicating a modest annual increase. This stability suggests the Federal Reserve might consider cutting rates in September.

Last week saw significant market volatility due to worries over economic growth, yen carry trade issues, and a tech stock selloff. The S&P 500 initially dropped but recovered slightly, ending the week down 0.04% while maintaining a 12.04% gain for the year. Oil prices rose on geopolitical tensions, copper fell due to growth concerns, and gold slipped as traders took profits. Key upcoming data, including July’s CPI and Retail Sales,…

A severe downturn hit U.S. tech megacaps on Monday, with Nvidia, Apple, and Amazon leading a $1 trillion loss in market capitalisation. Japan's Nikkei 225 suffered its worst drop since 1987, while Bitcoin declined by 11%. The yen's unexpected strength and recession fears contributed to market instability. However, Japanese markets rebounded strongly on Tuesday, recovering over 9%, supported by a recent Bank of Japan rate hike. Other Asia-Pacific markets also…

This year the stock market has generally enjoyed a period of stability often described as a "Goldilocks" economy, which has avoided the extremes of overheating or stagnation. However, recent economic data has sparked concerns of a downturn. The July jobs report revealed a modest addition of 114,000 jobs, with the unemployment rate rising to 4.3%, the highest in nearly three years. This, combined with earlier signs of slowing consumer spending…

The central bank of Japan took more decisive action towards tighter monetary setting, as it announced the second rate hike of this cycle and a plan to reduce asset purchases

China's economy grew at a slower-than-expected annual rate of 4.7% in the last quarter, falling short of the 5.3% growth seen in the first quarter. The National Bureau of Statistics noted that progress this year has been challenging due to weak global economic momentum, persistent inflation, geopolitical conflicts, and insufficient domestic demand. Despite these challenges, the economy achieved a 5% growth rate in the first half of the year, matching…

The US Consumer Price Index (CPI) came in lower than expected, which is likely to bolster the Federal Reserve's confidence that inflation is on a sustainable path to the 2% target. This has increased the likelihood of a rate cut in September to 81.3%. June's CPI report was notably soft, with headline inflation falling 0.1% month-on-month, contrary to the predicted rise of 0.1%. Core CPI increased by only 0.1% MoM,…

The Bank of Japan's latest move has left investors feeling perplexed. Despite hints at a shift in policy, the central bank's announcement lacked concrete details, leaving many questions unanswered.

The oil producing group of counties decided on Sunday to extend most of its output reductions, although some of them will be phased out, starting in the fourth quarter