Foreign Exchange Insights and Next Week
Asserting a Greater America: Fact or Fiction
August 28, 2026
From a strictly economic perspective, the success of a movement to achieve a greater America ought to be self-evident if in time economic growth strengthens, price stability is better achieved, and if consumer confidence improves. These are conditions that can be readily tested. Real GDP slowed from an average 2.8% in 2024 (Biden’s final year) […] More
New Overnight Developments Abroad - Daily Update
Hawkish Comments within Warsh Speech at Jackson Hole Lends Support to Dollar in Spite of Other Negative Forces
August 28, 2026
The much-awaited keynote address by Fed Chairman Warsh at the annual Jackson Hole Symposium included these remarks about inflation: While this summer’s PCE and CPI readings were better than expected, they do not tell me that underlying trends have meaningfully improved. The data also show moderate wage growth. But in tracking underlying inflation, wage growth […] More
Central Bank Watch
Central Bank Interest Rates Raised in South Korea and the Philippines
August 27, 2026
entral bank interest rates were hiked by 25 basis points today in South Korea and the Philippines to 3.0% and 5.0%, respectively. In South Korea’s case, this was the second such tightening in a row from a 2.5% base maintained from May 2025 until the monthly review this past July. Despite slightly lower inflation in […] More
New Overnight Developments Abroad - Daily Update
Steady Dollar and Two Asian Central Banks Hike Interest Rates
August 27, 2026
Dollar changes this Thursday have been unremarkable. Nvdia earnings last quarter exceeded optimistic expectations. The tech-intensive Nasdaq is 1.2% higher mid-morning EDT. More general jitters about AI, the Middle East war, and U.S. trade policies are associated with little change in other major U.S. stock market barometers. Pac Rimequities were mixed today, with the Korean […] More
New Overnight Developments Abroad - Daily Update
Clinging to the Possibility of Renewed Traffic Through the Strait of Hormuz
August 26, 2026
In two more days, the war between the United States and Iran will be seven months old in a conflict initially estimated to last five weeks at top. Seven months represents a sixth of the duration of U.S. participation in the second world war from Pearl Harbor to Hiroshima. There have been many elusive moments […] More
Central Bank Watch
Another Hungarian Central Bank Interest Rate Cut
August 25, 2026
As was expected, officials at the National Bank of Hungary cut the central bank base rate by another 25 basis points. This is the fourth such reduction so far in 2026. At 5.5%, the base rate is down from 6.5% prevailing from September 2025 until this past February and a peak of 13.0% maintained from […] More
New Overnight Developments Abroad - Daily Update
Waiting for More Clues
August 25, 2026
The dollar has lost ground in August but has not significantly broken out of the narrow corridor traveled so far during 2026. At 100.5 on July 28, it was 0.3% shy of its 52-week peak, and at 98.56 last Friday, it was only 1.2% above a low touched six months ago. Today has been another […] More
New Overnight Developments Abroad - Daily Update
Week Kicks off Light on Data but Heavy with Anticipation
August 24, 2026
(125) Even for a Monday, today’s session has very few scheduled releases of economic data around the world. Financial market participants are focused on what lies ahead. Shipping traffic through the Strait of Hormuz failed to exceed a measly ten vessels yesterday. With a shift from military to economic warfare, President Trump has called today […] More
Foreign Exchange Insights and Next Week
Next Week’s Menu: August 22-28, 2026
August 21, 2026
Central Banks: Monetary policies will be reviewed in the Philippines, Thailand, South Korea, Hungary and Kyrgyzstan. Some of the officials with speaking engagements will be Fed Chairman Warsh, Bank of Japan Deputy Governor Himino and Richmond Fed President Barkin. Special Events: The Standing Committee of China’s National People’s Congress will be in session, and the […] More
New Overnight Developments Abroad - Daily Update
Bottom-Fishing
August 21, 2026
After Thursday’s difficult session for equities, Friday has seen a bounce. Stock markets closed up 1.2% in Hong Kong, 0.9% in India, and 0.7% in Taiwan and Indonesia. European bourses show gains but of less than 1.0%, and the DOW, SPX and Nasdaq just opened slightly higher. Today’s biggest winner has been crypto. Bitcoin’s price […] More
