German industrial orders
Fed’s Inaction on Rising Long-Term Interest Rates Sends Dollar Higher
March 5, 2021
Investors had been hoping to hear some voiced protest against the steepening U.S. yield curve from Fed Chairman Powell’s speech yesterday, but it wasn’t to be. Powell expressed a lack of worry about the development, while reaffirming that Fed tightening is years away even if U.S. employment and price growth outpaces the path assumed by […] More
Continuing Shift into Riskier Assets
February 5, 2021
It’s been another up-session for equities. Markets closed up 1.5% in Japan, 1.1% in South Korea and Australia, and 0.6% in Taiwan and Hong Kong. Market gains today so far exceed 1.0% in France, Italy, and Spain, and U.S. futures are up about 0.4% following yesterday’s senate partisan vote supporting President Biden’s $1.9 trillion proposed […] More
Stocks Up, Dollar Marginally Lower, and Trump Out of the Hospital
October 6, 2020
Share prices overnight rose 1.5% in India, 1.2% in Taiwan, 0.8% in Indonesia, and 0.5% in Japan. Markets have also climbed 0.7% in New Zealand and 0.3% in Australia. In Europe so far, equities have risen 1.0% in Spain, 0.8% in Italy , 0.5% in France, 0.3% in Germany but just 0.1% in Great Britain. […] More
No U.S. Fiscal Package Yet as New Jobless Claims Exceed 1 Million for 20th Consecutive Week
August 6, 2020
Congressional talks on an additional fiscal stimulus reportedly remain far apart. The hope has been to secure agreement by tomorrow. Global Covid-19 cases just rose above the 19 million mark, and the U.S. total is closing in fast upon 5 million confirmed infections. Although more than 200k less than forecast, new U.S. jobless insurance claims […] More
Greater Focus on the Economic Devastation of the Covid-19 Pandemic
May 6, 2020
The dollar appreciated overnight by 0.7% against the Mexican peso, 0.5% versus the British pound and Chinese yuan, 0.4% relative to the euro, 0.3% vis-a-vis the loonie, but just 0.1% against the Swiss franc and Aussie dollar. The dollar also lost 0.3% against the Japanese yen. Japanese markets remained shut for the last of the […] More
Markets Turning Increasingly Disorderly
March 6, 2020
Share prices are down over 3.0% in the U.K., France, Germany, Spain, Italy, and Switzerland even though a decent U.S. labor market report is anticipated. Equity markets in the Pacific Rim closed down 2.7% in Japan, 2.8% in Australia, 2.5% in Indonesia, 2.3% in India, 2.2% in South Korea, 2.0% in New Zealand and 1.9% […] More
Stocks and Dollar Up in Spite of Continuing Coronavirus Worries
February 6, 2020
Share prices today by 2.6% in Hong Kong, 2.4% in Japan, 1.7% in China, 1.5% in Taiwan, 1.0% in Singapore, 1.1% in Australia and 0.9% in South Korea and New Zealand. The German, French and Spanish stock markets are 0.7-1.0% higher. Although up just 0.3%, the U.S. market indices have set record highs. Today’s dollar […] More
A Steady Dollar
November 6, 2019
The dollar on balance remains near Tuesday closing levels. Gold is 0.3% firmer. The spate of recent increases in 10-year sovereign debt yields was reversed today with 3-basis point declines in U.S. Treasuries and British gilt yields and a dip of 1 basis point in the 10-year German bund yield. The Japanese 10-year JGB yield, […] More
Unsettling Geopolitical News Over the Weekend and Some Weak Data Released Today
October 7, 2019
The Brexit deadline is now 24 days away, and British Prime Minister Johnson is still insisting on leaving the EU at monthend with or without a deal. He’s unwilling to compromise further. U.S.-Sino trade talks resume Thursday, but it’s reported that while the U.S. wants a comprehensive agreement, China seeks a more limited scope in […] More
Problems Deepen in Europe But Appetite for Riskier Assets Returns
September 5, 2019
German industrial orders slumped 2.7% in July, almost twice as steeply as forecast. This wiped out June’s recovery and left orders 5.6% below their year earlier level. Demand weakness was broadly based across industrial sectors but more concentrated exports than domestic demand. The construction purchasing managers index in Euroland sank 1.5 points in August, sliding […] More
