Economies

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,…

Treasury yields remained stable as investors awaited Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's twice-yearly report on the economy to Capitol Hill. Powell is set to address the Senate Committee on Banking, Housing, and Urban Affairs at 10 a.m. Eastern on Tuesday, followed by the House Committee on Financial Services on Wednesday, where he is expected to face tough questions.

The latest US jobless claims data shows a slightly higher-than-expected 238,000 Americans filed for unemployment benefits in the week ending 15 June, indicating a potentially softening labour market. Although this figure is down from the previous week's total, the four-week moving average of claims remains elevated at 232,750, suggesting a labour market that's losing momentum.

UK inflation for May dropped to the Bank of England's target of 2.0%, as reported by the Office for National Statistics, marking a decrease from 2.3% in April. This figure matched economists' forecasts, causing a slight rise in the sterling to $1.2732. Services inflation, a crucial indicator for the BOE, decreased to 5.7% from 5.9% in April, while core inflation, excluding certain volatile items, fell to 3.5% from 3.9%.

HKG33 extends its losses and tests pivotal technical levels after today’s data showed that China deflationary risks have not gone away, amidst broader uneven recovery

The US Federal Reserve is anticipated to maintain interest rates within the 5.25-5.5% range this Wednesday, suggesting that September may mark the earliest consideration for a rate cut. Market attention will be directed towards the updated dot plot, providing insights into individual members' perspectives on interest rate trajectories. In March, the Fed indicated a predominant view of three rate reductions for the year, with an additional three cuts expected in…

Tomorrow the ECB is likely to deliver a 25-bps cut – the first major advanced economy central bank to begin its cutting cycle. The cut is expected, with markets having priced in the cut from 4% to 3.75% for a few weeks now. However, forward guidance will be key here, with market participants focusing on any clues provided regarding future policy direction.

Inflation in April rose as expected, with markets anxious about potential interest rate cuts, according to a key measure released Friday closely watched by the Federal Reserve. The core personal consumption expenditures (PCE) price index, excluding food and energy, increased 0.2% monthly and 2.8% annually, matching estimates. Including food and energy, PCE inflation was 2.7% annually and 0.3% monthly, also in line with forecasts. Fed officials prefer the PCE over…

The index pulls back from its recent record highs and tests key technical levels, amidst uncertainty around the central bank’s rate path and July’s general election

Price pressures eased substantially and close to the central bank’s 2% target, but were hotter than anticipated, sustaining uncertainty around the timing of the first rate cut