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Indeed a third U.S. central banker speaking early in the day, Governor Michelle Bowman, signaled she feels further policy tightening may yet be appropriate, unless inflation drops more convincingly. The Fed has raised its benchmark interest rate five full percentage points over the past 14 months - the fastest pace of tightening in 40 years. Yes," Fed Governor Philip Jefferson said at a monetary policy conference at the Hoover Institution. That's notable from a policymaker who was among the first and most vocal to push for sharp rate hikes to fight inflation, back in mid-2021. But since then, he said, the Fed's rate hikes have helped bring down what had been a worrying rise in inflation expectations that, if left unchecked, could have sent actual inflation spiraling out of control.

☆ Yellen, at G7, to underscore U.S. commitment to Ukraine for 'as long as it takes'
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-11 | by ( Andrea Shalal | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

REUTERS/Issei KatoNIIGATA, Japan, May 11 (Reuters) - Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen on Thursday will underscore the United States' commitment to continue supporting Ukraine for as long as needed, while working with other rich nations to degrade Russia's ability to wage war against its neighbor. "I look forward to coordinating with other G7 members to support Ukraine and degrade Russia’s ability to wage war," she said in the remarks released by Treasury as the war approaches its 450th day. "Since Day One, our countries have stood united to support the Ukrainian people as they have mounted a fierce resistance," she said. Yellen also said caps on the price of Russian oil and oil products, discussed by G7 finance ministers for the first time just a year ago, were clearly working just a few months after its implementation in December and February, respectively. While the price cap coalition was moving to phase out all imports of Russian oil, officials were urging developing countries "to save on their oil costs by taking advantage of the price cap to negotiate steep bargains on Russian oil," she said.

☆ Dollar weakens, euro edges higher after inflation data
▼ + stars: | 2023-05-10 | by ( Laura Matthews | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

U.S. Labor Department data showed April inflation cooled to 4.9%, the smallest year-over-year increase in two years. However, so-called core inflation remained sticky at 5.5%, suggesting interest rates may need to stay high for some time to tame it. "The U.S. dollar did soften modestly on the news that core U.S. CPI inflation edges a little lower in April. Economists polled by Reuters expected core U.S. consumer prices to rise 5.5% on a year-on-year basis for April. Fed funds futures traders are pricing in a pause before expected rate cuts in September.

☆ S.Korea's Yoon to meet Biden as doubts grow over nuclear umbrella
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-24 | by ( Hyonhee Shin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

More than 64% supported South Korea developing its own nuclear weapons, with about 33% opposed. Yoon has been pushing to boost South Korea's say in operating the U.S. extended deterrence but exactly what that might entail has not been spelt out. A senior U.S. official said on Friday that Biden, during the summit with Yoon, would pledge "substantial" steps to underscore U.S. commitments to deter a North Korean nuclear attack. South Korea, a major producer of artillery shells, says it has not provided lethal weapons to Ukraine, citing its relations with Russia. South Korea tries to avoid antagonising Russia, due chiefly to business interests and Russian influence over North Korea.

☆ Dollar bounces as expectations of Fed rate hike climb
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

While U.S. retail sales fell more than expected in March, so-called core retail sales, which excludes automobiles, gasoline, building materials and food services, slipped just 0.3% last month, data released on Friday showed. So I think that will increase (expectations) for the Fed to continue raising interest rates," said Tina Teng, market analyst at CMC Markets. The two-year U.S. Treasury yield , which typically moves in step with interest rate expectations, stood at 4.1161%, after hitting a roughly two-week top of 4.137% on Friday. Some hawkish Fed speak also aided the higher interest rate expectations, with Fed Governor Christopher Waller and Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic suggesting that the Fed could hike another 25 bps next month. The offshore yuan fell roughly 0.1% to 6.8786 per dollar.

☆ Asia stocks on guard for earnings, China economy surprises
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

EYES ON EARNINGS OUTLOOKS&P 500 futures inched up 0.2%, while Nasdaq futures were flat as investors awaited a slew of earnings reports led by Goldman Sachs (GS.N), Morgan Stanley (MS.N) and Bank of America (BAC.N). Analysts expect Q1 S&P 500 earnings to fall 5.2% from the year-earlier period, though BofA analyst Savita Subramanian is more concerned about the outlook for 2023. "Our 2023 EPS estimate for the S&P 500 remains $200, still 9% below consensus estimates." In bond markets, the shift in Fed expectations pushed U.S. two-year yields up to 4.12%, having risen 12 basis points last week. Futures have 37 basis points of ECB tightening priced for the May meeting and 82 basis points by October.

☆ Asia stocks brace for updates on earnings, China economy
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

☆ Asia stocks on edge for earnings, China data
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

EYES ON EARNINGS OUTLOOKS&P 500 futures edged up 0.2%, while Nasdaq futures were flat as investors awaited a slew of earnings reports led by Goldman Sachs (GS.N), Morgan Stanley (MS.N) and Bank of America (BAC.N). Analysts expect Q1 S&P 500 earnings to fall 5.2% from the year-ago period, though BofA analyst Savita Subramanian is more concerned about the outlook for 2023. "Our 2023 EPS estimate for the S&P 500 remains $200, still 9% below consensus estimates." In bond markets, the shift in Fed expectations pushed U.S. two-year yields up to 4.12%, having risen 12 basis points last week. Futures have 37 basis points of ECB tightening priced for the May meeting and 82 basis points by December.

☆ Dollar rebounds on higher expectations for Fed hike in May
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-17 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

The dollar bounced from a one-year low on Monday as resilience in core U.S. retail sales, a rise in short-term inflation expectations and impressive Wall Street bank earnings raised market expectations for an interest rate hike in May. Against a basket of currencies, the U.S. dollar index rose 0.15% to 101.82, standing some distance away from Friday's one-year low of 100.78. So I think that will increase (expectations) for the Fed to continue raising interest rates," said Tina Teng, market analyst at CMC Markets. Short-term inflation expectations have also increased, with the University of Michigan's preliminary April reading showing that one-year inflation expectations rose to 4.6% from 3.6% in March. Some hawkish Fed speak also aided the higher interest rate expectations, with Fed Governor Christopher Waller and Atlanta Fed President Raphael Bostic suggesting that the Fed could hike another 25 bps next month.

☆ Gold slides 1% after U.S. jobs data raises rate hike bets
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +2 min

An Argor-Heraeus SA branded two hundred and fifty gram gold bar, center, sits in this arranged photograph at Solar Capital Gold Zrt. Gold prices fell about 1% to slip below $2,000 on Monday, after U.S. employment data pointed to a tight labor market and raised expectations of another rate hike by the Federal Reserve in May. Friday's data from the U.S. Labor Department showed non-farm payrolls increased by 236,000 jobs in March, versus expectations of 239,000. The data also showed the unemployment rate dipped to 3.5% from 3.6% in the prior month. The report raised bets that the U.S. central bank would increase rates next month, with markets pricing in a 66% chance of a 25 basis-point (bps) rate hike, according to the CME FedWatch tool.

☆ Gold slides 1% after US jobs data raises rate hike bets
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Kavya Guduru | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SummarySummary Companies Gold slips below $2,000/ozMarch U.S. payrolls rise by 236,00066% chance seen of Fed rate hike in May- CME Fedwatch ToolApril 10 (Reuters) - Gold prices fell about 1% to slip below $2,000 on Monday, after U.S. employment data pointed to a tight labour market and raised expectations of another rate hike by the Federal Reserve in May. Friday's data from the U.S. Labor Department showed non-farm payrolls increased by 236,000 jobs in March, versus expectations of 239,000. The data also showed the unemployment rate dipped to 3.5% from 3.6% in the prior month. The report raised bets that the U.S. central bank would increase rates next month, with markets pricing in a 66% chance of a 25 basis-point (bps) rate hike, according to the CME FedWatch tool. Gold is traditionally considered a hedge against inflation, but higher rates increase the opportunity cost of holding the non-yielding asset.

☆ Jim Cramer's top 10 things to watch in the stock market Monday
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-10 | by ( Jim Cramer | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +5 min

Club holding Pioneer Natural Resources (PXD) is the biggest independent oil exploration and production (E & P) play. Club holding Constellation Brands (STZ) reported an excellent quarter last week and gave you an 11% dividend increase. As a subscriber to the CNBC Investing Club with Jim Cramer, you will receive a trade alert before Jim makes a trade. Jim waits 45 minutes after sending a trade alert before buying or selling a stock in his charitable trust's portfolio. If Jim has talked about a stock on CNBC TV, he waits 72 hours after issuing the trade alert before executing the trade.

☆ Bank panic created this pocket of opportunity with yields nearing 8%, analysts say
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-06 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Recent banking turmoil in the U.S. and Europe has been a source of panic, but analysts are pointing to a pocket of opportunity: the preferred shares of the big banks. She said yields on the preferred stocks of the big banks are near 10-year highs. Preferred stocks have characteristics of both stocks and bonds — they trade on exchanges like stocks but they have a face value and pay dividends like bonds. Go big Gilbert said she would focus on preferred shares of the United States' big, national banks instead of its regional ones. How to invest There are many funds dedicated to preferred shares, as well as those that offer preferred shares as part of a larger fixed income allocation, according to Citi.

☆ U.S. President Biden to visit Ireland, Northern Ireland next week
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-05 | by ( Padraic Halpin | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Summary Political stalemate awaits president in Northern IrelandBiden to underscore U.S. support for N.Ireland economyWill visit ancestral homes on both coasts of IrelandDUBLIN, April 5 (Reuters) - U.S. President Joe Biden will visit Ireland and Northern Ireland on April 11-14 to mark the 25th anniversary of the Good Friday peace accord on one side of the Irish border and visit his ancestral home on the other, the White House said on Wednesday. However the anniversary has been overshadowed by a year-long boycott by Northern Ireland's largest pro-British unionist party of the power-sharing devolved government central to the 1998 deal. The British government and the European Union reached a deal in February to ease post-Brexit trade rules between Northern Ireland and the rest of the U.K. There is still some sporadic violence in Northern Ireland by small groups opposed to peace. The 1998 deal was partially brokered by the U.S. government of then-President Bill Clinton, who will travel to Belfast a week later with his wife Hillary for an event marking the anniversary.

☆ Oil prices jump in blow to global inflation hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Brent oil futures jumped $4.30 to $84.19 a barrel on news output would be cut by around 1.16 million barrels per day, while U.S. crude climbed $4.17 to $79.84. The change comes before a virtual meeting of an OPEC+ ministerial panel, which includes Saudi Arabia and Russia. "That means that oil markets may potentially see around 1% of global oil supply or more being curtailed from May." The latest reductions could lift oil prices by $10 per barrel, the head of investment firm Pickering Energy Partners said on Sunday. The rise in oil prices is bad news for Japan's trade balance given it imports most of its energy.

☆ Morning Bid: Oil spike a black mark for inflation, consumer demand
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Oil prices have stolen the show in Asia on Monday, and not in a good way if you care about global inflation and consumer spending power. Yet, higher petrol prices are also a tax on consumers and have a close correlation to consumer sentiment, especially in the United States. It's also unlikely to be taken well by the White House given the political pain of higher gas prices. Concerns about consumer demand were not helped by the Caixin/S&P survey of Chinese manufacturing in March that badly missed forecasts at 50.0, largely due to a weakness in export orders. Auto sales for March will offer an early read on consumer demand- Federal Reserve Board Governor Lisa Cook speaks on the U.S. economic outlook and monetary policyEditing by Jamie FreedOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Oil prices surge, markets narrow odds on Fed hike
▼ + stars: | 2023-04-03 | by ( Wayne Cole | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Brent oil futures jumped $5.16 to $85.05 a barrel on news output would be cut by around 1.16 million barrels per day, while U.S. crude climbed $4.88 to $80.55. The latest reductions could lift oil prices by $10 per barrel, the head of investment firm Pickering Energy Partners said on Sunday. Goldman Sachs lifted its forecast for Brent to $95 a barrel by the end of the year and to $100 for 2024. The rise in oil prices is bad news for Japan's trade balance given it imports most of its energy. The lift in the dollar and yields nudged gold prices down nearly 0.5% to $1,958 an ounce .

WASHINGTON, March 22 (Reuters) - The United States is "actively" working on re-establishing a diplomatic presence in Libya, U.S. Secretary of State Antony Blinken said on Wednesday, although he declined to provide an exact time on when the U.S. embassy can be reopened. U.S. Special Envoy for Libya, Richard Norland, has operated out of the Tunisian capital, and took occasional trips into Libya. "I can't give you a timetable other than to say that this is something we're very actively working on. I want to see us be able to re-establish an ongoing presence in Libya," Blinken said at a Senate Appropriations subcommittee hearing. The United Nations' special envoy for Libya last month moved to take charge of a stalled political process to enable elections that are seen as the path to resolving years of conflict.

☆ These bond ETFs are having their best day in 2023 as investors seek safety
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-15 | by ( Darla Mercado | Cfp | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +1 min

A pair of exchange-traded bond funds popped Wednesday as investors flee stocks in search of safety. The Vanguard Total Bond ETF (BND) and the iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF (AGG) each leapt by as much as 1.4% Wednesday morning. Investors sought safety in Treasurys , with yields dropping as traders bought up the issues. Corporate issues in BND include Amazon , AbbVie and Alphabet , while AGG holds bonds from Morgan Stanley , Bank of America and JPMorgan Chase .

Investors in Asia have a fairly packed data calendar themselves to get through on Wednesday, with the latest snapshots of Chinese retail sales, industrial production and fixed business investment the pick of the bunch. chartchartEconomists expect retail sales and industrial production to recover strongly, pointing to the economic recovery from COVID-19 lockdown gathering momentum. Yet growth in fixed business investment, a key plank of any recovery, is expected to slow from January. Note, however, that the retail sales and industrial production figures are for January and February, so they may be distorted. They do not reflect the views of Reuters News, which, under the Trust Principles, is committed to integrity, independence, and freedom from bias.

☆ Investors share strategies to beat interest rate fears — including one that trumped the 60/40 model
▼ + stars: | 2023-03-09 | by ( Weizhen Tan | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +4 min

Markets are jittery now that fears that interest rates will stay higher for longer have been reignited . These are BlackRock's recommendations: Short-duration fixed income: iShares 0-3 Month Treasury Bond ETF, iShares Short Treasury Bond ETF, and iShares Treasury Floating Rate Bond ETF. Longer-duration fixed income: iShares TIPS Bond ETF, iShares Core U.S. Aggregate Bond ETF and iShares MBS ETF. "While we do not suggest investors abandon stocks all together, in a "higher for longer" environment, we believe investors should gravitate towards value-style stocks," Chaudhuri said.

☆ Oil rises on China growth hopes
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Ahmad Ghaddar | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Brent crude futures for April , due to expire on Tuesday, were up by 87 cents, or 1.1%, to $83.32 per barrel by 1059 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained $1.18, or 1.6%, to $76.89 a barrel. JPMorgan's oil analysts maintained their 2023 average price forecast on Brent crude futures at $90 per barrel. The market will be looking to the latest U.S. oil stocks data due from the American Petroleum Institute industry group on Tuesday and the government's Energy Information Administration on Wednesday for further demand indicators. Distillate inventories, which include diesel and heating oil, were expected to have decreased by about 500,000 barrels last week.

Brent crude futures for April , due to expire on Tuesday, were up by 39 cents to $82.84 per barrel by 0718 GMT. Likewise, U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures gained 61 cents to $76.29 a barrel. Brent and WTI futures were both on track, however, for monthly losses of around 2.2% and 3.8% respectively, with WTI likely to hit a four-month streak of declines. JPMorgan's oil analysts maintained their 2023 average price forecast on Brent crude futures at $90 per barrel. Seven analysts polled also estimated that gasoline stocks rose by about 700,000 barrels.

Brent crude futures for April , due to expire on Tuesday, gained 14 cents to $82.59 per barrel by 0443 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures rose 21 cents to $75.89 a barrel. Brent and WTI futures were both on track for monthly losses of around 2.2% and 3.8% respectively, with WTI likely to hit a four-month streak of declines. JPMorgan's oil analysts maintained their 2023 average price forecast on Brent crude futures at $90 per barrel. A preliminary Reuters poll showed analysts expected crude stocks grew by 400,000 barrels in the week to Feb. 24, which would mark the tenth consecutive week of builds.

☆ Oil steadies after fall on fear of rate hikes, rising inventories
▼ + stars: | 2023-02-28 | by ( Laila Kearney | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"The stronger than expected inflation numbers raised concerns about further hikes in interest rates, which has already curbed demand in the U.S.," ANZ analysts said in a client note. The possibility that slower-growing wages might help limit inflation, however, kept crude from moving lower. The market will be looking out for the latest U.S. oil stocks data due from the American Petroleum Institute industry group on Tuesday and the government's Energy Information Administration on Wednesday for further demand indicators. A preliminary Reuters poll showed analysts expected crude stocks grew by 400,000 barrels in the week to Feb. 24, which would mark the tenth consecutive week of builds. Helping to put a floor on prices, distillate inventories, which include diesel and heating oil, were expected to have decreased by about 500,000 barrels last week.

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