Oil prices fell from their peak levels of over $120 per barrel for WTI in June 2022 to around $70 by now. Expectations by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) and the International Energy Agency (IEA) highlight concerns…
Are there signs of recession in the air? At least the recent decline in oil prices may suggest so. The last time oil prices suffered from such falls was in early 2020 during the Covid crisis that escalated to a…
The FOMC relieved the markets by cutting rates by 50 bp, the first rate cut since the pandemic. The markets were mostly content with the dovish policy decision even though they were not initially too happy with the economic outlook,…
The FOMC is expected to cut rates for the first time since the 2020 Covid-induced recession. This news has already been priced into the financial markets. The two main issues remain unclear and worth following: First, how much they will…
The recent NFP report came short of expectations, with 142k jobs added (expectations were for 164k). However, unemployment did not rise (at 4.2%), and wage growth ticked up to 0.4% — putting more stress on inflationary pressures. In short, this…
As gold trades at $2,500, a record high, its path ahead faces challenges related to the upcoming FOMC meeting. Still, the balance of risks appears to support precious metal prices. Let’s examine the key factors that could influence its trajectory…
Following the Jackson Hole annual banking conference, FOMC chair Jay Powell has already stated what the market anticipated, that rate cuts are coming. How many cuts should we expect? At Jackson Hole, Powell stated that the Federal Reserve would do…
Gold continues to reach new highs, most recently passing $2,500. While many consider precious metal as a hedge against inflation, the main factors that keep gold shining are the prospect of falling interest rates, weaker USD, geopolitical unrest, and rising…
Following the FOMC decision to keep rates unchanged in its July meeting, the market reaction – a plunge in stock prices for a couple of days – may have surprised Fed chair Jay Powell. Despite the sudden sharp reaction, I…
When Bank of Japan’s Governor Kazuo Ueda announced a rate hike of 25 basis points last week, it is hard to believe he expected things would turn out the way they did: The Japanese yen appreciated by nearly 5% against…