The US 500 index recorded a 2-month high of 5958 on Friday before settling back to close the week at 5922, an incredible 24% rally from the index's tariff induced lows at 4799 seen on April 7th. Impressive indeed.
However, late on Friday evening the ratings agency Moody’s downgraded US government debt from its top credit rating of Aa1 to Aaa, citing a ballooning...
USDJPY experienced a significant move higher at the end of April/beginning of May, as first, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) started to indicate caution towards further interest rate hikes due to the uncertainty caused by the introduction of President Trump’s trade tariffs, a potential negative for the JPY. This was followed by dollar demand linked to Monday’s...
A press conference yesterday morning led by US Treasury Secretary Bessant and Trade representative Greer outlined a positive conclusion to the first round of trade talks between the US and China. The news grabbing headline was a 90 day reduction in combined US levies on Chinese imports being reduced from 145% to 30% and Chinese duties on US goods dropping from...
Gold prices rallied 0.6% on Friday to close at 3325 as traders rushed to obtain some safe haven protection against the uncertainty of whether the outcome of trade negotiations between the US and China, taking place in Geneva over the weekend, may yield positive or negative results which could have significantly impact all markets on the Monday open.
Roll forward...
The Germany 40 index has been on a wild ride in the first 4+ months of 2025 as European equity markets have reaped the benefits of a shift out of US assets, an expected major spending up lift by European governments on defence and more importantly for the Germany 40 specifically, a commitment by the country’s lawmakers to lift the debt break, which is expected to...
GBPUSD volatility has decreased recently, which has left the popular currency pair range trading at the higher end of its 2025 trading band between lows of 1.3233 seen on April 23rd and yearly highs of 1.3444 seen on April 28th, with traders delaying decisions on any significant directional commitments to account for President Trump’s 90 day tariff pause and to...
The Dow Jones Index (US 30) has moved steadily higher over the last 10 trading days as traders continue to unwind short positioning attached to the popular sell US assets idea that seemed to dominate at the beginning of April, in the pre President Trump 90 day tariff pause era.
At the start of this new week, after a period of quiet trading on Monday, mainly due...
USDJPY started the week with a 1.3% fall on Monday, where it fell from opening levels around its weekly highs at 143.88, to a low at 141.92 and has since stayed relatively quiet. However, that could all change as we move through towards Friday, as FX markets move into a 3-day period packed with important scheduled events.
Risk sentiment towards US assets, and...
The upside recovery in the US 500 index continued last week, adding nearly 5% to close at 5523 on Friday, a 1 month high, as weak short positions continued to be squeezed out by a combination of factors, including signs that US/China trade relations may be starting to thaw out, President Trump pulling back on his initial commentary challenging Federal Reserve...
Even by recent standards, the price action seen in Gold this week so far has been extreme. For those that may not have seen it all, here we go. Gold opened at 3331 on Monday, traded to a new all time high of 3500 on Tuesday, then dropped all the way back down to 3260 on Wednesday before recovering again to current levels around 3330. A round trip of circa...
GBPUSD traded to an 8-month high on Tuesday at 1.3424, as a new wave of dollar selling swept across FX markets at the start of the week. This time driven by fresh uncertainty surrounding US economic growth and by a barrage of social media comments across the Easter Holiday period from President Trump that seemed to challenge the independence of the Federal...
As European traders return from their extended Easter break they turn on their screens to find US assets back under pressure. The US 100 index dropped 2.2% yesterday to close at 17779, which included a late rally from a mid session low at 17570.
These moves are potentially reflecting a growing unease around numerous important issues, including, a lack of...
The pullback seen in EURUSD at the start of this week, which resulted in a low of 1.1264 being registered on Tuesday may have been a natural reaction to the spike from 1.0943 on Thursday 10th April, up to 1.1473 on Friday 11th April. A quick and relentless rally (low to high) of 4.8% that caught many by surprise.
Now, against the backdrop of fresh dollar selling...
Last week, AUDUSD was one of the main beneficiaries of the shift from despair, over Donald Trump's seemingly relentless tariff onslaught at the start of the week, to sheer relief into the Friday close, as the US President paused the tariff start date for 90 days. This move saw AUDUSD rally an impressive 5% from opening levels on Monday at 0.5992 to close the week...
Developments earlier in the week regarding President Trump's 90 day tariff reprieve and the escalation of the trade war between the US and China have seen Gold recover from its slump, which saw it trade from a low of 2956 on Monday, to very quickly post a new all time high this morning at 3220. An impressive rally of 8.5%.
It seems these two events have shifted...
After one of the most extreme trading days for the US 500 index that we have seen since the pandemic of March 2020, a slightly uneasy calm has descended across markets this morning as traders await the next tariff updates from President Trump and his team of advisors.
Right now it is still unclear whether President Trump would provide an opportunity for...
Last week popular trades were sacrificed in the global risk sell off. The Germany 40 index fell 9% on the week to close at 20,344, a level last seen in early January. The rush into the relative safety of bonds and cash on Thursday/Friday in response to President Trump’s announcement of reciprocal tariffs of 20% on the EU ensured the Germany 40 index moved into...
President Trump’s confirmation of the size and scope of his reciprocal tariffs last night at a much-anticipated ‘Liberation Day’ event in the rose garden at the White House has resulted in a broad wave of negative risk off sentiment which has seen global stock markets fall, and US indices especially come under severe pressure.
This trade war escalation has also...
