Tag - market forecast

Emerging market countries, including the BRICS bloc, are expressing frustration with the US dollar's dominance in the global financial system. While there have been discussions about creating alternative currencies to challenge the dollar's dominance, no concrete proposals have emerged. Instead, these countries are considering expanding trade using their own currencies to reduce reliance on the dollar.

The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) has opted to keep interest rates steady at 4.1% for the second consecutive month, signaling a new phase in its approach to tackling inflation. The RBA's governor, Philip Lowe, referred to this stage as the "calibration phase," where the central bank makes subtle adjustments to its policy.

UK basic wages have experienced a record growth rate, prompting concerns for the Bank of England (BoE) over persistent inflation pressures despite 14 consecutive interest rate hikes. While the unemployment rate unexpectedly rose to 4.2%, basic earnings increased by 7.8%, the highest in records from 2001.

The upcoming consumer price index (CPI) report for July is projected to indicate a 0…

For the third time in a row, Apple reports a dip in sales as it releases its report for Q2 2023. The announcement led to a 7% drop in stock prices as more investors seemed to lose confidence in the stock’s performance.

To properly examine the likely outcome of the Labour data release and the NFP (Non-farm Payrolls), I will be correlating the USD with the value of gold. That said, gold is at a critical juncture as the US Dollar strengthens and Treasury yields rise

Today, the Bank of England has decided to raise interest rates to combat inflation. In its recent report dated the 3rd of August, 2023, the BOE confirmed that it had raised interest rates to 5.25%, expecting that the inflation rates would drop to 2%.

Kazuo Ueda, the Bank of Japan's Governor, effectively adjusted the yield curve control policy, but caution is still needed as inflation remains a challenge. The BoJ expects inflation to hit its target next year, but external inflationary pressures may abate.

On Thursday, the European Central Bank is expected to hike interest rates by a quarter percentage point to 3.75%. After July, the certainty of further rate hikes is unclear, leading to a craving for guidance in financial markets

Recently, gold prices settled by -0.41% at 59309 as the dollar and bond yields rose. However, hopes for a pause in US rate hikes limited the decline after the July meeting of the Federal Reserve. The unexpected drop in new claims for unemployment benefits in the US also contributed to the market sentiment.

Earnings season is a crucial time for investors and analysts, as it provides insights into how well companies have performed over the past quarter and gives indications of their future earnings. In 2023, expectations for US Q1 earnings were low due to economic challenges and rising interest rates. Surprisingly, many companies beat these low expectations, with 75% of S&P 500 companies surpassing forecasts.

According to EY, profit warnings among UK-listed companies have reached levels last seen during the financial crisis, excluding the pandemic. More than one in six firms issued profit warnings in the past year due to rising borrowing costs and tightened consumer spending, impacting their margins. Insolvencies in June were 27% higher than the previous year and above pre-pandemic levels, with consumer industries like retail and hospitality being hit the hardest.