Euroland and German ZEW expectations index
Trouble City So Long As Oil Price Rise Extends
September 15, 2026
The Brent and West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices climbed by a further 2.4% and 2.8% overnight. The Middle East’s stalemate keeps subjecting interest rates to upward pressure. The 30-year, 10-year and 3-month U.S. Treasury yields are 1, 1, and 2 basis points higher than yesterday, while ten-year sovereign debt yields in other economies have […] More
Unsettling Geopolitics Crowding Out Economics
August 18, 2026
In this mid-August season of vacationing, this Tuesday saw few releases of economic data and no central bank rate announcements. In this vacuum, market attention turned to politics for guidance and and the musings of U.S. President Trump. He indicated no interest in extending the expired interim peace with Iran. Tomorrow is D-day for U.S./Canadian […] More
Concerns Over Artificial Intelligence and Geopolitical Strains Rattle Equities But Dollar and Yen Rise
February 17, 2026
In pre-open futures trading, all four major U.S. stock market indices after the three-day weekend holiday have lost ground. Japan’s Nikkei closed down 0.4%, and the German DAX and Paris CAC stock market indices are flat in contrast to slight equity gains so far in the U.K., Spain and Italy. Central bank interest rate prospects […] More
Various Data Results and Another Step Closer to Ending the U.S. Federal Government Shutdown
November 11, 2025
Today’s 107th anniversary of the Armistice that ended the First World War is being observed in the United States as Veteran’s Day and in France as Remembrance Day. Banks there will be closed, but stock markets are open. A wide range of economic data have been reported, including British labor market figures, the German ZEW […] More
Risk Aversion in Spite of Gaza Ceasefire and Trump’s “It Will All Be fine” Comment on Trade Tensions
October 14, 2025
Equity markets and long-term sovereign debt yields faltered anew this Tuesday. China is lifting port fees against U.S. imports and accusing Trump of reigniting trade tensions between the two countries. In the middle east conflict, hostages and prisoners have been returned, but ensuing steps to cement a permanent peace in the region are being met […] More
Softer Dollar Again
September 16, 2025
The dollar was nudged lower as the Federal Open Market Committee prepared to begin a 2-day policy review that is likely to cut the federal funds rate target for the first time since last December. President Trump’s newest governor-appointee Stephen Miran and Lisa Cook, whom he tried to prevent from participating in the decision, will […] More
Fed Rate Hike Still Widely Expected in September Despite a Mixed U.S. CPI Report
August 12, 2025
While overall U.S. CPI inflation of 2.7% last month was a tick under expectations, core inflation excluding food and energy rose 0.2 percentage points to 3.1%, crossing above the 3.0% threshold for the first time in five months. A tariff-led boost to goods prices was not discernible, but a 0.4% monthly advance in non-energy service […] More
Second Thoughts About Monday’s Euphoria as Spotlight Shines on Price Data
May 13, 2025
Nothing has been consistent in this year’s eruption of trade tensions. The scale-back in tariffs that buoyed financial markets yesterday were couched in a temporary context and left net tariff increases since the start of this year still quite significant. Investors await U.S. CPI data this morning, wondering how much they might reflect increased tariff […] More
Market’s Attention Pivoting to How Central Banks Might React to Changing Global Outlook
April 15, 2025
Whereas equities mostly rose Tuesday in Asia and Europe, U.S. stock futures are trading slightly in the red. Share prices closed up by 2.1% in India, 1.8% in Taiwan and Singapore, and 0.8% in Japan and have so far advanced 1.6% in Italy, 1.2% in Spain, 0.9% in Germany and 0.8% in the U.K. The […] More
Other Economies Attracting Interest as U.S. Steers an Isolationist Course
March 18, 2025
Once again, stock markets in Europe are flashing green, with overnight advances of at least 1.0% in Germany, Italy and Spain. In the Pacific Rim, the Hang Seng of Hong Kong, Sensex of India and Japanese Nikkei closed up 2.5%, 1.5% and 1.2% while markets in Singapore, Taiwan and New Zealand recorded gains of 0.9%, […] More
