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☆ Dollar wobbles near eight-month low ahead of c.bank meetings
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-26 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

SINGAPORE, Jan 26 (Reuters) - The dollar held close to an eight-month low against its peers on Thursday, as a gloomy U.S. corporate earnings season stoked recession fears and as traders stayed on guard ahead of a slew of central bank meetings next week. Trading was thin, with Australia out for a holiday and some parts of Asia still away for the Lunar New Year. "There are now signs the U.S. economy may be slowing in a more meaningful manner," said economists at Wells Fargo. Ahead of that, the Commerce Department is due to release advance estimates of U.S. fourth-quarter gross domestic product later on Thursday. Meanwhile, markets expect policymakers at the Bank of England and European Central Bank (ECB), which will also meet next week, to deliver 50 bps rate hikes.

☆ There'll be a rude awakening for investors who haven't realized the Fed's got a whole new playbook, says BlackRock iShares strategist
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-18 | by ( George Glover | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +4 min

There's likely to be further pain ahead for US stocks, a BlackRock iShares strategist told Insider. Karim Chedid expects the Federal Reserve to hold interest rates above 5% for the whole of 2023. "Goldilocks doesn't save the day in our new playbook," he said, given the Fed is focused on inflation. "Goldilocks doesn't save the day in our new playbook," Chedid said. That reflects a new environment where the Fed's only priority is taming inflation, according to Chedid.

☆ Yen tests seven-month high ahead of BOJ policy decision; dollar wobbles
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-16 | by ( Rae Wee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

SINGAPORE, Jan 16 (Reuters) - The Japanese yen held near an over seven-month peak on Monday, as traders, in the lead up to the Bank of Japan's monetary policy decision this week, ramped up bets that the central bank could make further tweaks to its yield control policy. The yen was last 0.1% lower at 128.01 per dollar, having surged to 127.46 per dollar on Friday, its highest since May last year. Markets have been pressing for the BOJ to shift away from its ultra-easy monetary policy, which on Friday caused the yield on Japan's benchmark 10-year government bonds to breach the central bank's new ceiling. With the BOJ due to announce its monetary policy decision on Wednesday, expectations are for further tweaks to its yield control policy or a full abandonment of it. Against a basket of currencies, the U.S. dollar index fell 0.13% to 102.13, languishing near Friday's seven-month low of 101.97.

☆ Dollar wobbles as U.S. inflation fuels hopes of slower Fed rate path
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-13 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

The dollar index , which measures the U.S. currency against six others, rose 0.059% to 102.220 but was languishing around its lowest level since June. Traders of futures tied to the Fed's policy rate bet heavily on a downshift to quarter-percentage-point rises starting at the Jan. 31 to Feb. 1 meeting and a pause just below 5%, with interest rate cuts priced in for later in the year. Carol Kong, a currency strategist at Commonwealth Bank of Australia, said the Fed would likely take comfort in the inflation report and the U.S. dollar would continue to ease. Meanwhile, the yen strengthened 0.12% to 129.10 per dollar, having touched a fresh seven-month high of 128.65 per dollar earlier in the session. The Australian dollar fell 0.11% to $0.696, while the kiwi fell 0.34% to $0.637.

☆ I make fake snow for films like 'Fantastic Beasts.' It's fun to make but painstaking to clean up — now I never look at winter movies the same.
▼ + stars: | 2023-01-12 | by ( Jem Bartholomew | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +6 min

Jon Llewellyn works at Snow Business International, a company that produces fake snow. I work at Snow Business International, where we make fake snow for all kinds of movie sets and more. There's a lot of secrecy around Christmas TV ads in the UKPeople talk, so we use code names to muddy the water. Jon LlewellynRecently, we cleaned up this entire area of fake snow on a shoot in Ireland. But it's funny because I thought it looked a bit unrealistic on the cars, even though it was real snow.

☆ Analysis: Investors count on bonds to rescue battered 60/40 portfolio in 2023
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-21 | by ( David Randall | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +5 min

A 60/40 portfolio, which typically allocates 60% of assets into stocks and 40% into bonds, counts on moves in the two asset classes to offset one another, with stocks strengthening amid economic optimism and bonds rising during uncertain times. So-called 60/40 portfolios, which mix stocks and bonds, are on place for their first down year since 2018. Though market participants tend to avoid bonds during inflationary times, they are a popular destination for haven-seeking investors when the economy wobbles. Consecutive annual declines in the 60/40 portfolio have been rare. Higher-than-expected borrowing costs or rebounding inflation could deal another blow to investors in both stocks and bonds.

☆ Peru ministers resign after protest deaths as new government wobbles
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-16 | by ( Marco Aquino | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

[1/8] Demonstrators injured during clashes with security forces are treated by medical personnel amid violent protests following the ousting and arrest of former President Pedro Castillo, in Ayacucho, Peru December 15, 2022. Education Minister Patricia Correa and Culture Minister Jair Perez announced their resignations on Twitter, citing the deaths of individuals during the unrest. Peru has been through years of political turmoil, with multiple leaders accused of corruption, frequent impeachment attempts, and presidential terms cut short. The United Nations on Friday expressed "deep concern" over reports of deaths and detentions of minors involved in the demonstrations. Reporting by Marco Aquino; Writing by Valentine Hilaire and Brendan O'Boyle; Editing by Rosalba O'BrienOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

The fed funds rate currently stands in the 4.25%-4.50% range. Plenty of investors believe the Fed will stick to its guns, even if the economy wobbles. The Fed's economic projections showed rates dropping to 4.1% in 2024, higher than estimated three months ago. She is expecting the gyrations that rocked bonds this year to continue, driven in part by investors second-guessing the Fed's commitment to keeping monetary policy tight. "We have a generation of traders that has never seen the Fed not bail it out when push comes to shove."

☆ Stocks rise on hope of revived China demand, oil wobbles
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-08 | by ( Herbert Lash | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Wall Street rose on enthusiasm over a rally in U.S.-listed shares of Chinese companies, while copper climbed on hopes of increased demand from China, its biggest consumer. "The realization that China is going to be back on-line and producing product will help bring down inflation and that’s a good thing. "The bulls can spin the narrative that both inflation expectations and real yields are coming down. Treasury yields rose as investors awaited a report next week on inflation and the Fed meeting. Gold prices edged higher as the dollar eased and investors positioned themselves ahead of the U.S. inflation data and the Fed's policy announcements.

☆ Dollar wobbles as inflation ebbs, eye on jobs data
▼ + stars: | 2022-12-02 | by ( Ankur Banerjee | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

Investors now turn their attention to nonfarm payrolls data on Friday for clues about how rate hikes have affected the labour market. Futures traders are now pricing for the Fed's benchmark rate to peak at 4.87% in May, up from 3.83% now. Meanwhile, the dollar was 0.05% lower at 135.25 yen , having slipped as low as 135.045 yen earlier - the lowest since Aug. 18. The euro down 0.1% to $1.0512, after gaining 1% overnight, while sterling was last trading at $1.2237, down 0.13% on the day. Reporting by Ankur Banerjee in Singapore; Editing by Raju GopalakrishnanOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Morning Bid: Bank man fried
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

"We are in the best of hands," FTX founder Sam Bankman-Fried said on Twitter, after announcing a bailout that has not quite soothed market jitters. Bitcoin was falling in Asia on Wednesday, so was FTX's collapsing token and Binance's token had the wobbles. As Spectra Markets' Brent Donnelly and others have previously noted, naming rights are a reasonable signal of irrational exuberance. FTX's 19-year deal for naming rights at the Miami Heat basketball team's home arena looks to face a similar fate, as does its sponsorship of the Mercedes F1 team. China's factory gate prices dropped for the first time since December 2020, and consumer inflation moderated, underlining faltering domestic demand.

☆ Dollar wobbles while investors await midterms; cryptos skittish
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-09 | by ( Tom Westbrook | Anant Chandak | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +2 min

It touched multi-week lows against the euro, Australian dollar and New Zealand dollar overnight, then edged off those levels early in the Asia session. "We all know the dollar will probably turn at some point - when is the big question," said Bank of Singapore currency analyst Moh Siong Sim. Investors expect Republican gains, and some analysts view likely Congressional gridlock as a slight negative for the dollar if it limits fiscal spending. On Thursday, U.S. inflation data is on the horizon. The New Zealand dollar wobbled 0.1% lower to $0.5951.

☆ Dollar eyes weekly gain; sterling wobbles on lower rate bets, bleak outlook
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-04 | by ( Rae Wee | Michael S. Derby | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

Against a basket of currencies, the U.S. dollar index fell 0.23% to 112.71, away from a near two-week peak of 113.15 hit overnight. Nonetheless, it was on track for a weekly gain of nearly 2% -- its largest since September. Fed rate futures now point to a terminal rate of about 5.15% by mid-2023, after the Federal Reserve raised interest rates by three-quarters of a percentage point this week. It was headed for a weekly loss of more than 3%, the largest since September's market turmoil triggered by an economic plan that alarmed investors. Reporting by Rae Wee; Editing by Kim Coghill and Ana Nicolaci da CostaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Dollar eases on improved risk sentiment before Fed; Aussie pares gains after RBA
▼ + stars: | 2022-11-01 | by ( Kevin Buckland | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +3 min

"Our general sense is that the dollar probably has peaked, but that doesn't necessarily mean it's coming down." The Aussie gained 0.3% to $0.6416, but was off earlier highs after the RBA opted for another 25-bp hike. The Fed is widely expected to raise its benchmark rate by 75 bps on Wednesday, its fourth such increase in a row. But for the December meeting, Fed funds futures are split on the odds of a 75- or 50-bps increase. read moreReporting by Kevin Buckland; Editing by Ana Nicolaci da CostaOur Standards: The Thomson Reuters Trust Principles.

☆ Stocks rally wobbles as Fed hike draws near
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-31 | by ( Tom Westbrook | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

MSCI's broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan rose 1%, though China stocks were held flat by disappointing economic data. The index is down ten months in a row and near two-year lows, rattled by growth and interest-rate hike fears. The mixed performance follows an erratic earnings season on Wall Street and bond and currency markets tempering some wagers on a change in tone from the Fed. S&P 500 futures fell 0.2%, while European futures rose 0.4%. Palm oil futures rose nearly 5%.

☆ Analysts remain confident in Amazon long term as shares crater, expect 'redemption story' ahead
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-28 | by ( Samantha Subin | ) www.cnbc.com time to read: +3 min

Amazon 's disappointing quarterly results signaled to analysts that even the giants aren't immune to a macro slowdown. Analysts trimmed price targets and estimates to reflect a broader macro slowdown at the e-commerce giant following the results, with analysts at Deutsche Bank and Wolfe Research saying it's time to "batten down the hatches." However, most analysts remain bullish on the company's long-term trajectory, maintaining their outperform and buy ratings on the stock. That said, analysts across the board trimmed price targets and estimates to reflect the broader macro pressures. He trimmed his price target on the stock to $137 from $157 a share, suggesting 23% upside ahead for the stocks.

☆ Warehouse startups that rode the e-commerce boom to the top are recalibrating for a cool down by cutting jobs and delaying fundraising
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-25 | by ( Emma Cosgrove | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +5 min

The pandemic boosted e-commerce and the startups that pack and ship orders. Startups that once rode the rocket ship of the pandemic e-commerce boom are adjusting to solid ground again. In the fulfillment space just 18 months ago, startups were opening new facilities and making acquisitions at a furious pace. Along with e-commerce growth, the pace of venture funding has slowed, especially as the economy wobbles. (He said ShipHero had been profitable, but went into a growth phase after the first venture round.)

☆ Scholars found a long-lost star map from ancient Greek astronomer Hipparchus hidden beneath layers of medieval Christian text
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-22 | by ( Paola Rosa-Aquino | ) www.businessinsider.com time to read: +3 min

Scholars discovered the oldest known star map beneath the text of a Christian manuscript, according to new study. The ancient Greek astronomer made the earliest known attempt to chart the entire night sky. The Christian text came from Egypt's Saint Catherine's Monastery and is now in possession of the Museum of the Bible in Washington, DC. Researchers say the star map was scraped away so the parchment could be reused — a common practice at the time. The "new evidence is the most authoritative to date and allows major progress in the reconstruction of Hipparchus' Star Catalog," the study authors wrote.

DEBT STRESSTreasury bond quotas could be increased, so that some of them could be transferred to local governments to ease their fiscal stress, said Luo Zhiheng, chief macroeconomic analyst at Yuekai Securities. Combined with some maturing debts of local government financing vehicles (LGFVs) - investment companies that build infrastructure projects - this year and the next will be most stressful for local governments, he said. According to financial media outlet Yicai, local governments' revenue from fines and confiscations jumped 10.4% in January-July year-on-year. The fiscal stress is cutting into some households' income, a red flag for consumption and broader growth. As there is no way out, they have had to ask the local government fiscal department for money."

☆ Asia stumbles as China COVID, sterling wobbles shake sentiment
▼ + stars: | 2022-10-12 | by ( Kanupriya Kapoor | ) www.reuters.com time to read: +4 min

Sterling rose 0.4% to $1.1008 in late Asian trade but there are broader concerns about the direction of policy in Britain. In Japan, the rampaging dollar breached 146 yen for the first time in 24 years, prompting authorities in Tokyo to pledge necessary steps in the foreign exchange market if needed. Renewed U.S. dollar strength also sent the risk-sensitive Australian dollar to $0.6247, the lowest since April 2020. U.S. inflation data on Wednesday and Thursday is expected to keep the Fed on an aggressive rate hike path. It was the third straight dip in prices as investors worried about falling fuel demand and tightening COVID-19 curbs in China.

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