US FED MEMBER CALLS FOR STEADY MONETARY POLICY Patrick Harker, Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia, supports a steady monetary policy. He believes current economic conditions warrant fixed interest rates. Future interest rate decisions will be based on data. Harker says the Fed's stance aims to reduce inflation. Inflation
Oil prices are mostly unchanged as the U.S. and Russia plan talks in Saudi Arabia to end the Ukraine war. Brent crude is at $75.07 per barrel, and WTI is at $71.02 per barrel, both up 0.4%. The price gap between current and future WTI oil
Thailand’s economy is expected to grow faster this year. Growth will be helped by government spending and more tourists. In the last part of last year, the economy grew by 3.2%, lower than expected. Capital Economics predicted 3.3%, so the result was close. Growth was slower in
Japan’s economy grew 0.7% in the last quarter, more than expected. Experts had predicted only 0.2%-0.3% growth. The previous quarter’s growth was also revised up to 0.4%. Overall, Japan’s economy grew 1.2% for the year. This is double what the Bank
Treasury yields fell as investors looked at the U.S. economy. 10-year yield dropped 4.5 basis points to 4.478%. 2-year yield dropped 5 basis points to 4.263%. Yields go down when bond prices go up.
Chinese President Xi Jinping spoke to top business leaders in a private meeting. He encouraged private business owners to use their skills and grow their businesses. He said there are many opportunities for private companies in China’s “new era.” Xi’s speech showed support for private businesses in China.
USD TRADING HIGHER, AFFECTING OTHER CURRENCIES The US dollar is trading higher in the Asian morning session. AUD/USD and NZD/USD have notably dropped. The Canadian dollar (CAD) is also weaker. EUR/USD and GBP/USD are both down. USD/JPY briefly dipped below 151.30 but is now
Bloomberg reported that OPEC+ might delay increasing oil supply in April. The reason given was that the oil market is still weak. OPEC+ has cut oil production since 2022 to keep prices stable. Russia’s Prime Minister, Alexander Novak, denied these reports. He said OPEC+ is not planning to delay
UK Economy Status – The strong Q4 GDP numbers do not change the overall UK economic situation. It is still weak, and the reason (supply or demand issues) is unclear. US Trade Tariffs – If the US imposes tariffs, it may affect global trade and growth, but its impact on inflation is
Bitcoin price stuck: It has been moving between $94,000 and $100,000 for nearly two weeks. Investors unsure: People are not sure whether to buy or sell. ETF outflows: US Bitcoin ETFs lost $580.2 million last week. Weak institutional demand: Big investors are not buying much. Possible breakout:
EUR/USD is not moving much and stays below 1.0500. Trading is slow in the European session on Monday. The US Dollar is weak, which helps limit EUR/USD losses. Market mood is positive, supporting the pair. Investors are waiting for central bank updates.
The US Dollar is staying at the same level as last week. Not much trading is happening because US markets are closed for Presidents' Day. No important economic data will be released today. Investors are waiting for speeches from Federal Reserve (Fed) officials.