Posts Tagged ‘Dollar’
Sterling under pressure as May fights for her political life
STERLING GBP/USD was little changed this morning having touched a fresh four-month low on Friday at $1.2711 on Brexit woes. Cross party talks to reach a Brexit deal that could make it through parliament collapsed on Friday although weekend press reports have suggested Theresa May plans to make a ‘bold offer’ to secure a deal.…
Read MoreTrump threatens China with increased tariffs
US DOLLAR The Dollar Index inched higher yesterday morning to 97.6 having declined on Friday’s jobs report as soft wage data overshadowed a strong non-farm payrolls print (+263,000) with the unemployment rate falling to 3.6%, a 50-year low. The Trump administration continued to raise the temperature in trade tensions with China yesterday, with top trade…
Read MoreSuper Thursday at the Bank of England
STERLING Brexit related developments haven taken somewhat of a backseat for the pound of late although GBP/USD dipped below 1.29 last week to a two-month low of 1.2865. The pair has inched higher overnight despite warnings from rating agencies on Friday that the UK rating is still at risk from a no-deal Brexit. Looking ahead,…
Read MoreCorbyn to be May’s next scapegoat?
STERLING Sterling continues to be driven by Brexit related developments and having flirted with $1.32 in the middle of last week, has drifted back towards the 1.30. Investors have welcomed what appears to be a reduced likelihood of a no-deal Brexit and a higher probability of a softer Brexit although this is still some way…
Read MoreTime running out for May
US DOLLAR The Dollar Index nursed a minor decline this morning although has maintained the 97.0 handle. The index touched a near three-week high on Friday at 97.27 after Michigan Sentiment and new home sales surpassed expectations. There was minimal reaction meanwhile to a slight downward revision to Q4 GDP on Thursday. Retail sales for…
Read MoreUS bond yield inverts
US DOLLAR Treasury yields pulled back from 15-month lows as investors reassessed the risks of a sharper downturn in the global economy. When the 10-year yield is lower than the three-year yield, it tends to signal that people are locking up money longer term because they fear a slowdown in business profits and its accompanying…
Read MoreMay pinning hopes on the DUP to unlock parliament stalemate
US DOLLAR The Dollar Index surrendered the 97 handle last week, weighed by a flurry of weaker-than-expected data releases including CPI, PPI and industrial production. This may factor into this Wednesday’s FOMC policy decision although most economists expect a wait-and-see stance after they dropped language in January that signalled further hikes were necessary. On the…
Read MoreTrump continues criticism of Fed monetary policy
US DOLLAR After a soft start to last week, the US Dollar finished strongly with the Dollar Index hitting a one-week high on Friday at 96.55. Thursday’s stronger than expected GDP data was the main catalyst after the Greenback had shown little reaction to relatively mundane comments from Fed Chair Jerome Powell. Comments from US…
Read MoreMay delays meaningful vote until 12th March
US DOLLAR The Dollar Index edged lower last week, hitting a two-week low on Wednesday at 96.29 but has started this week around 96.4. There was some mild volatility after the FOMC minutes while a pretty dismal retail sales report provided a weight and prompted a number of banks to trim their Q1 GDP forecasts.…
Read MoreTrump comes up $4.3 billion short for wall funding
US DOLLAR The Dollar Index spent most of last week with a 97 handle but surrendered it before the weekend after US retail sales dropped the most since September 2009, prompting a flurry of growth downgrades for the coming quarters. Elsewhere, lawmakers appear to have avoided another government shutdown for the time being and more…
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