Deeper Analysis
September and Third Quarter in Figures
September 30, 2026
The most dramatic financial market change during the third quarter was not in the price of oil but rather a 42% advance in the price of Bitcoin, nearly a fifth of which occurred in September. Nonetheless, a 30% jump in the price of West Texas Intermediate crude oil, along with a manic debate over the […] More
New Overnight Developments Abroad - Daily Update
Elevating Inflation Shared by Many Economies as 3Q Draws to a Close
September 30, 2026
The dollar and U.S. equity futures marked time overnight as investors await key U.S. growth and inflation indicators. The U.S. currency is 0.1% softer against the yen, euro, Swiss franc, Canadian dollar, and kiwi. President Trump strengthened his pitch for a self-regulating AI industry. Stock markets in the Pacific Rim on this final session of […] More
Central Bank Watch
Central Bank Interest Rate Hikes in Jamaica and Australia
September 29, 2026
Late yesterday came an announcement from the Bank of Jamaica of a 50-basis point increase in its policy interest rate to 6.0%, marking the first increase since November 2022. A released explanation of this directional rate reversal notes that since the prior policy review in August, The escalation of tensions in the Middle East and […] More
New Overnight Developments Abroad - Daily Update
More Central Bank Hikes Despite Lower-Than-Feared Oil Prices
September 29, 2026
Any U.S.-Iranian ceasefire deal before the U.S. midterm elections seems highly unlikely. And yet, the West Texas Intermediate price of crude oil settled back 0.8% from Monday’s closing level and at $91.86 is much closer to $90 than triple-digit territory. Somewhat greater traffic is moving through the Strait of Hormuz, and oil users are doing […] More
New Overnight Developments Abroad - Daily Update
Still No Deal to Reopen the Strait of Hormuz Yet Diplomatic Option Not Yet Abandoned
September 28, 2026
(120) Following President Trump’s “no deal” answer to Iran’s latest peace proposal, the West Texas Intermediate and Brent prices of crude oil have shot up around 4%. In turn, ten-year sovereign debt yields are up six basis points in the United States and Spain, eight bps in Italy, seven bps in France and four bps […] More
Foreign Exchange Insights and Next Week
Next Week’s Menu: September 26 – October 2, 2026
September 25, 2026
Central Banks: Interest rate meetings will be held in Colombia, Australia and Jamaica. Speaking publicly during the period will be RBA Governor Bullock, MPC members Mann and Ramsden of the Bank of England, Sleijpen of the ECB and Goolsbee, Musalem, Barkin, Kashkari, Williams, and Collins of the Federal Reserve. The Bank of Japan publishes its […] More
New Overnight Developments Abroad - Daily Update
A Respite from the Storm
September 25, 2026
At the end of this hectic week, world investors are taking a breather. It’s been a light session from a data release standpoint, and folks await news from this final day of the two-day summit between the political leaders in China and the United States in NYC. A looming distraction in the background as been […] More
Central Bank Watch
Norwegian Central Bank Rate Hike Was Anticipated
September 24, 2026
At the Bank of Norway, the policy rate was raised by 25 basis points in follow-up to a similar hike done earlier this year in May. The new 4.5% rate level returns as a result to the peak maintained from December 2023 until June 2025. Back in June, monetary officials had given a heads up […] More
New Overnight Developments Abroad - Daily Update
Bond Market Debacle, Xi-Trump Summit, and More Central Bank Policy Decisions
September 24, 2026
With Japanese markets opening for their first session of this week, sharp rises occurred today in ten-year sovereign debt yields around the Pacific Rim, amounting to 15 basis points in New Zealand, 13 basis points in Australia, 11 basis points in Japan, 8 basis points in Singapore and 7 bps in South Korea. That set […] More
Central Bank Watch
South African Reserve Bank Rate Increase Today Not a Surprise
September 23, 2026
the key interest rate of the South African Reserve Bank was raised by 25 basis points to 7.25%, but the hike was not unexpected even though consumer price inflation currently of 4.4% happens to be hovering in the middle of the 3-6% target range. A statement explaining today’s action declares “We see upside risks to […] More
