U.S. GDP
More Smoke than Fire
December 20, 2019
A lot of economic data was released on the final day of the final meaningful week of 2019, but the market is settling into yearend mode and showed a muted reaction. The dollar firmed overnight by 0.3% against the euro and Swiss franc but slipped 0.3% relative to sterling. There were dollar upticks of 0.2% […] More
Markets Anticipating Another Fed Rate Cut
October 30, 2019
The dollar marked time overnight as investors await confirmation of further easing from the FOMC. Their expectation of a third 25-basis point reduction since July 31st of the federal funds target is thought by many to be accompanied by forward guidance indicating a predisposition to pause afterwards. The announcement at 18:00 GMT will be followed […] More
Some Optimism from Three Fronts
August 29, 2019
Investors continue to believe that the U.S. and China can work out some kind of truce in the trade war. It is also thought the resignation of the Scottish Conservative Party leader, Ruth Davidson, may impede British Prime Minister Johnson’s ability to pull the U.K. out of the EU without any negotiated deal on October 31. […] More
Dollar Marking Time Ahead of G-20 Summit
June 27, 2019
There’s been little change in the dollar, price of oil, or European equities overnight. The Group of Twenty summit in Osaka starts tomorrow. EU leaders will try again to pick the next ECB president by next week. Ten-year sovereign debt yields dipped a basis point in the United States, Germany and Japan. Asian stock markets […] More
Several Japanese Data Reported but Investors Marking Time Ahead of U.S. Figures
April 26, 2019
Shortly before the first release of U.S. first-quarter GDP, the dollar showed no net overnight change against the euro, loonie or sterling. There were 0.1% upticks relative to the yen, Swiss franc and peso, a 0.1% downtick vis-a-vis the yuan and drops of 0.5% against the kiwi and 0.3% versus the Australian dollar. European share […] More
U.S. GDP
February 28, 2019
U.S. real GDP expanded 2.6% at a seasonally adjusted annual rate last quarter, down from 3.4% in 3Q and 4.2% in the second quarter of 2018. Personal consumption and nonresidential investment accounted for all of the rise. Residential construction recorded a fourth straight contraction. Net exports exerted a smaller drag of 0.2 percentage points. Inventories […] More
No Deal Between U.S. and North Korea and a Whole Lot of Data Released
February 28, 2019
The summit between U.S. President Trump and North Korean President Kim ended prematurely without an agreement. Share prices in Asia lost 1.8% in South Korea, 1.3% in Indonesia, 1.2% in Singapore, 0.9% in Hong Kong, 0.8% in Japan but only 0.4% in China. In Europe, there’s been scant net movement in the German Dax or […] More
Dollar Stages Moderate Rebound
December 21, 2018
Broad dollar gains overnight amount to 0.6% against the kiwi, 0.4% relative to the loonie and euro, 0.3% vis-a-vis the peso, Swiss franc, and yuan, 0.2% versus the Australian dollar and 0.1% relative to sterling. Dollar/yen is unbalanced. In the continuing follies that markets have come to expect from the U.S. government, Defense Secretary Mattis […] More
Awaiting Jay Powell’s Speech
November 28, 2018
Fed Chairman Powell delivers a speech before the economic club of NY later today. Such is attracting even more interest than might be expected because President Trump has just escalated his criticism of Powell, calling him a bigger problem than China. In other news today, U.S. GDP growth last quarter was confirmed at 3.5%, the […] More
U.S. GDP Report Deconstructed
October 26, 2018
Good News: Real GDP expanded by a somewhat greater-than-expected 3.5% between 2Q and 3Q, expressed at an annualized rate (SAAR). The two-quarter pace of 3.8% was the fastest since the middle two quarters of 2014, when a 5.0% pace was achieved. On-year growth of 3.0% was the most in 13 quarters and just 0.8 percentage […] More
