GBP/USD Shrugs Off Starmer’s Resignation as 1.3000 Matters More Than Downing Street
UK Prime Minister Keir Starmer's resignation marks a significant political development, but the muted reaction in Sterling suggests markets had largely anticipated the outcome. After weeks of speculation over his future, investors appear to view the announcement less as a shock and more as the formal conclusion of a...
Inflation, Jobs and 0.7000: A Defining Week for RBA and AUD/USD
Two reports. Forty-eight hours. One question. Is the RBA done hiking, or is one final move still waiting in August? Australia's inflation report on Wednesday and employment data on Thursday could provide the clearest answer yet. After three consecutive rate hikes earlier this year, the RBA hit pause in...
Dollar Rally Faces Defining Technical Test as Fed Repricing Reshapes Markets
A week that began with optimism over falling oil prices ended with markets fixated on the prospect of renewed Federal Reserve tightening. The peace dividend from the US-Iran agreement continued to push energy prices lower and helped support risk sentiment. But the bigger story was the Fed's abrupt shift...
Dollar Dominates as Markets Ignore Japan Warnings and Look Past Iran Setback
Dollar strength remained the defining theme in currency markets on Friday, although gains slowed somewhat as US markets observed the Juneteenth holiday. Investors continued to digest the Federal Reserve's hawkish shift earlier this week, which revived expectations for another rate hike this year and left open the possibility of...
EUR/GBP Gains as Markets Scale Back BoE Tightening Expectations, More Upside Ahead
EUR/GBP's advance this week is telling a bigger story than simple Euro strength. What markets are really pricing is a fading belief that the Bank of England will need to deliver significantly more tightening than the European Central Bank. For months, Sterling benefited from the assumption that sticky UK...
Dollar Extends Fed-Driven Rally as AI Optimism Fuels Equity Rebound
Dollar strength remains the dominant theme in global markets as investors continue to digest the Federal Reserve's hawkish shift. The greenback extended gains broadly after policymakers effectively endorsed another rate hike this year and left the door open to additional tightening if inflation remains stubborn. Markets are now confronting...
Gold and Silver Rejected Key Resistance, 4,000 and 60 at Risk If Fed Hikes Twice
Gold and Silver came under renewed pressure after the Federal Reserve delivered a more hawkish-than-expected set of projections, prompting investors to quickly price in another rate hike later this year. While the Fed left rates unchanged at 3.50%-3.75%, the updated dot plot showed that policymakers have become increasingly concerned...
USD/JPY Hits Two-Year High as Hawkish Fed Revives Rate Hike Bets
USD/JPY surged to a fresh two-year high after the Federal Reserve delivered a significantly more hawkish message than markets had anticipated, reviving expectations that US interest rates could rise again before year-end. While the Fed left the federal funds rate unchanged at 3.50%-3.75% as widely expected, the updated projections...
Fed Day Arrives: Dot Plot Holds the Key as Markets Await Warsh’s Debut
Markets are entering the Federal Reserve decision with remarkably little uncertainty about what policymakers will do, but considerable uncertainty about what they will signal next. The first FOMC meeting under Kevin Warsh as Chair is widely expected to deliver an unchanged federal funds rate at 3.50%-3.75%, with little chance...
Sterling Slips on UK Inflation Misses, But GBP/CAD Bullish Case Remains Intact
Sterling came under modest pressure after UK inflation data undershot expectations in May, but the report is unlikely to materially alter the Bank of England's policy outlook or the broader bullish case for some GBP crosses. Headline CPI held steady at 2.8% yoy, below expectations for a rise to...
DOW Hits Record High as Falling Oil Prices Offset Fed Fears
The DOW is sending a very different message from the rest of Wall Street. While the S&P 500 and NASDAQ spent much of the past two sessions showing signs of caution ahead of today's FOMC rate decision, the DOW Jones Industrial Average pushed to a new record high. Under...
Oil Crashes Below $80, But Markets Hold Fire Ahead of Fed Decision
The biggest move in global markets is still happening in oil. The most important move may come tomorrow.
Brent crude plunged below USD 80 today, extending a dramatic collapse that began after the United States and Iran reached a provisional peace agreement over the weekend. The decline accelerated after President...
Bitcoin Rally Faces Two Major Hurdles Before Bullish Reversal Can Be Confirmed
Bitcoin has extended its recovery this week, climbing back above the 66,000 level as risk appetite improves across financial markets. The rebound has been supported by a combination of easing geopolitical tensions following the US-Iran peace agreement, renewed enthusiasm for growth assets after the highly anticipated SpaceX market debut,...
AUD/JPY Weakens After BoJ Hike and RBA Hold, Risks Build Towards 112 and Below
The Bank of Japan hiked. The Reserve Bank of Australia paused. Neither decision surprised markets. Yet the reaction in AUD/JPY may be telling a more important story.
The cross drifted lower after the BoJ raised rates by 25 basis points to 1.00%, the highest level since 1995, while the RBA...
Relief Rally Sweeps Markets, BoJ and RBA Kick Off Central Bank Week
Markets are finally getting the outcome they have been hoping for. After months of conflict, Washington and Tehran announced a peace agreement that would bring an immediate end to hostilities, setting the stage for the reopening of the Strait of Hormuz and the gradual restoration of normal oil flows....
Gold’s Bullish Reversal Takes Shape After US-Iran Breakthrough, 4366 Key Test Ahead
The biggest geopolitical breakthrough of 2026 may have just given Gold the catalyst it needed. Gold opened the week with a bullish gap and surged back above 4,300 after Washington and Tehran announced a formal Memorandum of Understanding to end their months-long war.
The agreement, brokered through intensive mediation by...
Will the Fed Blink? Markets Enter High-Stakes Week of Global Rate Decisions
Will the Fed Blink? Markets Enter High-Stakes Week of Global Rate Decisions
Markets are entering a week where almost every major central bank is expected to stand still. Yet it could still become one of the most volatile policy weeks of the year. Decisions from the Federal Reserve, Bank of...
Peace Is Near, But Inflation Is Already Here: Markets Shift Focus From Iran to Fed Risks
For the first time since the US-Iran conflict erupted in late February, financial markets can plausibly see a genuine path toward peace. Reports throughout the week indicated that the United States and Iran are closer than at any point since hostilities began to signing the Islamabad Memorandum of Understanding,...
Dollar Down But Not Out While Oil’s $10 Collapse Signals Iran Deal Optimism
Dollar is under broad-based pressure today as safe-haven demand unwinds, but the scale of the selloff remains surprisingly modest considering the dramatic move in oil markets. Brent crude has plunged from above $95 just a day ago to below $86, one of the sharpest declines since the Iran conflict...
Oil Collapses on Hormuz Optimism, EUR/CAD Rally May Be Just Getting Started
Oil prices extended their sharp decline on today as markets grew increasingly confident that a breakthrough in US-Iran negotiations could eventually restore normal energy flows through the Strait of Hormuz. Brent crude slipped back into the $86-87 region, with the break below the psychologically important $90 level reinforcing the...