Asian equity markets opened the week on a positive note, supported by cautious optimism surrounding the high-stakes US-China trade negotiations in London. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, along with Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick and Trade Representative Jamieson Greer, are meeting Chinese counterparts as efforts to revive dialogue intensify. The outcome of these talks could set […]
Risk sentiment improved last week, driven by the solid US non-farm payroll report that helped ease fears of a deepening slowdown. Adding to the optimism was a thaw in US-China relations. While no concrete breakthrough emerged, the fact that both sides were willing to engage again offered some relief to global markets weary of tariff
Dollar staged a firm comeback today following slightly better-than-expected non-farm payroll figures, with job growth at 139k and wage growth coming in strong at 0.4% mom. While not a blowout report, the data was enough to alleviate immediate concerns of a sharp labor market slowdown. Stock futures also advanced, suggesting that investors are reassessing the
Euro surged against Dollar after ECB President Christine Lagarde struck a relatively confident tone in her post-meeting press conference. She downplayed immediate trade war fallout, stating that U.S. tariffs would likely impact growth more in 2026, by which time EU fiscal expansion—particularly military spending—would help cushion the blow. Also, Lagarde emphasized that the ECB is
The US markets remain remarkably steady overnight despite a string of soft US economic releases overnight. Disappointing job and services data failed to trigger any meaningful selloff in equities, while Dollar edged slightly lower. Market pricing for Fed policy remains broadly unchanged, with a 96% chance of a hold at the upcoming meeting and a
The currency markets remain largely listless today, with all major pairs and crosses still trapped within last week’s ranges. Euro edged slightly lower following the release of Eurozone CPI data, which showed inflation falling below the ECB’s 2% target for the first time since September last year. The core measure also softened notably, reinforcing the
Asian markets traded with a mild risk-off tone to start the week, though overall activity remains subdued due to holidays in China, Malaysia, and New Zealand. Nikkei is under pressure, weighed down by rising US-China trade tensions and US President Donald Trump’s announcement of steeper steel tariffs. Hong Kong equities are also lower, reflecting regional
Market sentiment took another bearish turn today following renewed rhetoric from US President Donald Trump, who accused China of having “totally violated” its preliminary trade agreement with the U.S. The comments, delivered via social media, were echoed by Trade Representative Jamieson Greer in a CNBC interview, where he expressed concern over China’s delayed compliance. Greer
European Central Bank (ECB) Governing Council member and head of the Dutch central bank De Nederlandsche Bank (DNB) Klass Knot noted on Wednesday that the current outlook on European inflation is murky, making it difficult for the ECB to engage in direct moves. Key highlights Medium-term inflation outlook is more ambiguous. Near-term growth and inflation
Dollar’s near-term rebound is still intact as markets head into US session. But appears to be fading as traders await fresh catalysts. While the greenback has benefited from stabilizing sentiment, there’s a lack of conviction behind the move, particularly with no data releases of note today. Markets are now turning their attention to the upcoming
Yen is under intense selling pressure today, dragged down by a sharp plunge in super-long JGB yields. The 30-year yield closed at 2.836%, down significantly from 3.165% just days ago. This abrupt move followed a Reuters report suggesting that the Ministry of Finance may reduce super-long bond issuance as part of a potential tweak to
Global financial markets are thrown back into turmoil today after US President Donald Trump reignited trade tensions by announcing he would recommend a sweeping 50% tariff on EU imports starting June 1. In a pointed social media post, Trump accused the EU of stonewalling negotiations, declaring that discussions were “going nowhere.” The announcement came on
Dollar staged a broad recovery today as financial markets found some footing following a volatile stretch dominated by US deficit concerns. US futures are trading flat, while 10-year Treasury yield has pared back modestly from recent highs, signaling a pause in the bond selloff. The calmer tone helped the greenback regain some traction. Support for
Canadian Dollar firmed modestly in early US trading after inflation data showed a sharper-than-expected pickup in core price pressures. While headline CPI slowed to 1.7% in April, the drop was largely due to a steep decline in energy prices. In contrast, underlying inflation picked up pace, with core measures such as CPI-median, trim, and common
Global markets kicked off the week with a mild risk-off tone, driven by renewed concerns over US creditworthiness and mixed economic data out of China. Moody’s downgrade of the U.S. sovereign rating from Aaa to Aa1 late last Friday has cast a shadow over investor sentiment. Meanwhile, China’s latest data highlighted a fragile recovery with
Market activity remains subdued ahead of the weekend, with major currency pairs and crosses locked within yesterday’s tight ranges. Earlier in the day, New Zealand Dollar received a brief lift from rise in inflation expectations, but the move lacked conviction and quickly faded. Similarly, Japan’s weaker-than-expected Q1 GDP figures failed to trigger much reaction, as
Dollar faced broad selling pressure throughout the Asian and European sessions but has since found some footing as markets transition into the US trading day. However, direction remains murky, with traders appearing undecided on whether to push the greenback higher or extend the recent pullback. A similar tone of uncertainty is mirrored in equities, as
