Metals and Oil Keep Climbing
With a 1.5% gain, Gold has blasted through $4,000/oz and continues to advance. It’s another good day for metals overall with Silver up 2.4%, Platinum up 2.3% and Copper up 0.4%. Meanwhile, the price of Oil continues it’s post-OPEC+ meeting rebound with a 1.7% gain so far today. Oil has ignored a larger than expected […]
Positive Economic Data Boosts the US Dollar
This morning, several key US economic indicators have come in significantly better than expected. The latest US Q2 GDP update (3.8% vs Street 3.3%), and durable goods orders (2.9% vs Street -0.5%) suggest a more robust economy than previously thought. Meanwhile, fewer than expected weekly initial jobless claims (218K vs previous 232K) suggest US labor […]
Precious Metals Keep on Climbing as PMI Numbers Disappoint
There appears to be a growing disconnect between what equity and non-equity asset classes are telling us about investor sentiment. On the one hand, equity indices in the US and elsewhere continuing to reach new all-time highs seems to suggest an increased level of confidence and optimism about the future. This morning, US index futures […]
Gold Reaches Another New High
Between central bank interest rate cuts potentially devaluing paper money over time, and anti-austerity protests in France over the weekend suggesting governments may struggle to get their fiscal houses in order, capital appears to be increasingly seeking out havens in hard assets, particularly precious metals. Gold is up 1.4% this morning trading at a record […]
Energy Markets Rally With Overseas Politics in Focus
After finishing flat to slightly lower on Friday, US markets are trading flat to slightly higher this morning, led by a 0.3% gain in NASDAQ futures. Investors continue to weigh the implications of last week’s disappointing U.S. employment numbers, balancing the potential for interest rate cuts against the risks a slowing economy poses to corporate […]
Stock Markets Continue to Climb
Yesterday was a banner day for US equity markets with the small cap Russell 2000 rallying 3.0% and the large cap indices gaining 1.1%-1.4%, sending the S&P 500 and the NASDAQ Composite to new all-time highs. This morning finds the three main index futures contracts up another 0.2%-0.3%. Positive momentum has continued overnight with the […]
Traders Look Ahead to a Big Week Next Week
US index futures are quiet this morning, but overseas markets have been under pressure overnight and into this morning with the DAX down 0.8%, the FTSE down 0.5%, the Nikkei down 0.9%, and the Hang Seng down 1.1%. Commodities are up today with Crude Oil and Copper rising 0.4% and 0.1% respectively. The US Dollar […]
TACO Trade Shifts to the US Dollar
Reports that President Trump has dialled down his threats related to firing Fed Chair Powell has sparked a rally in the US Dollar, suggesting that concerns about the independence of the Fed had been weighing in the currency. Gold is down 0.9%, the Aussie is down 1.0%, the Euro, Loonie and Yen are all down […]
Markets Digest Earnings and Inflation Numbers
US markets are climbing this morning as earnings season gets underway led by a 0.6% gain for NASDAQ futures. Dow futures, European indices including the DAX, CAC, and FTSE, and commodities like Crude Oil and Copper are all quiet this morning. In currency action, Bitcoin is down 2.4%, while Gold is up 0.2%. Economic data […]
Tariff Rollout Continues; New High for Bitcoin; Earnings Season Starts
Adding to Friday’s losses, US index futures are down 0.3%-0.4% to start the week. Over the weekend, the EU and Mexico joined the Trump tariff parade as he announced 30% tariffs as set to start on August 1st. Tariffs helped the US to record a surprise budget surplus for June so there appears to be […]