Last year was an exciting year concerning financial markets. Economic activity was still fragile, and inflation was determined to be from the low-base of 2020 and the pandemic period. However, yields were appreciating, and the USDOLLAR bottomed the week of February 22nd. This marked a shift in dynamics. Inflation continued to climb, and participants debated whether it was transitory or a more sustained phenomenon. The SPX500 appreciated close to 28%…

The EURUSD daily chart is weak, between the lower blue and red bands. Moreover, the red bands have expanded with the currency pair's downside swing (green rectangles). Yesterday saw a long blue candle, and there has been some follow-through today, leaving the price at the border between the weak and neutral areas (blue arrow). Given the increase in volatility from the broader downside move, this rally may provide an opportunity.…

033 - Tighter Monetary Policy, Geopolitical Risks, and Poor Forward Guidance Lead to Risk-Off Sentiment Geopolitical risks at the Ukraine/Russian border, the prospects of tighter monetary policy, and poor forward guidance by Netflix have prompted a shift to risk-off sentiment. Friday saw a big selldown, which continued until a late rally on Monday. In this episode, FXCM Senior Market Specialists Russell and Nikos discuss the prospects for "work from home"…

Read the daily market update as we head towards the European open, to get some of the latest developments, main market moves and upcoming events

Last week saw headline US inflation running at its fastest pace since the early 1980s. This week will see inflation releases for the UK, Canada, Euro Area, and Japan. Bank earnings were subdued but remain an interesting industry as we move into a tightening cycle. Netflix releases results on Thursday.

Since Bitcoin (BTC) broke onto the scene in 2009, the growth of blockchain technology has been exponential. From facilitating the trade of traditional cryptocurrency products, to NFTs and ICOs, the blockchain has gone mainstream. As a result, the term decentralised finance (DeFi) has become a buzzword not only in the crypto space, but within the broader commercial landscape. What Is Decentralised Finance (DeFi)? Decentralised finance, commonly referred to as "DeFi,"…

The evolution of information systems technology has given rise to many industries that impact the global financial landscape. Among the most prominent are remote securities trading, the exchange of cryptocurrency assets and the fledgling decentralised finance (DeFi) sector. The latter two arenas are inherently connected to the blockchain. The blockchain is a digital system for recording data sets that is extremely difficult to alter. Essentially, it is a decentralised public…

Copper is one of the most ubiquitous, versatile and abundant metals. The red metal, as it's known, is corrosion-resistant, a good conductor of both heat and electricity, and can be molded into any number of shapes, sizes and thicknesses. As a result, people use copper in coins, jewelry, pipes, electric wiring, and musical instruments, among other things. Copper's use by humans dates back about 10,000 years. When combined with tin,…

Solana and Ethereum are both highly prominent blockchain platforms that leverage smart contracts. These two platforms have their respective strengths and weaknesses, but either way, developers are building applications on them. This piece will provide an overview of these two platforms, and help show why an investor would choose to put their money into one over the other. Solana Overview Solana is a blockchain platform that leverages several innovations to…

Capitalise is a software company, which aims to redefine the way traders utilise automation when creating and managing their strategies. Founded in 2015 by two fin-tech veterans, it is already used by some of the leading international brokers around the globe, FXCM included. It lets you navigate your way through the financial market using everyday English, thus allowing users to optimize their experience without being familiar with technically-complicated algorithmic trading…

This week, FXCM senior market specialists, Nik and Russ, discuss the announced accelerated taper of the Fed's asset purchasing program and rate outlook for 2022. They also talk about the BoE's surprise hike, the ECB's policy stance, and look at the key calendar items for this week.