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Fed Hikes, Removes ‘Dovish’ Language from Policy Statement $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX The FOMC increased short-term interest rates Wednesday, as expected, raising the fed funds target range by 25 bpts to 2.00-2.25%. The move reflected an upbeat assessment of the economy that was identical to the central bank’s last policy statement 8 weeks ago, […]
Gold Finished Flat, Rate Hike and Trade Tensions Concern $GLD, $SLV Gold prices held steady during Asian trade Tuesday as investors remained on the sidelines amid expectations of a Fed interest rate hike later this month and on fears of an escalation in the US-China trade dispute. Spot gold was mostly unchanged at 1,195.79 oz […]
US Inflation Rate at 2.9% in June, Highest in 6 Years US consumer prices rose in June from a year earlier at the fastest pace in more than s6 years, lifted by more expensive gas, car insurance, and higher rents. Last Thursday, the US Labor Department said that the CPI (consumer price index) ticked up […]
Investors See a Rate Hike From the FOMC Wednesday $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $RUTX, $VXX Retail investors are not waiting to see inflation coming, they know it is here. And are moving money into securities that hedge against risks of rising price pressures as the U Labor Department is set to give its latest reading on […]
FOMC Eyeing Inflation, ‘Strike a Balance’ with Rate Hikes Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, pledging to “strike a balance” between the risk of an overheating economy and the need to keep growth on track, told US lawmakers Tuesday that the central bank would stick with gradual interest rate increases despite the added stimulus of tax cuts […]
US Jobs Report: NFPs +200,000, Wages Rise Most Since 2009 $AAPL, $WMT “Jobs, Jobs, Jobs” US job growth rose in January and wages increased too, recording their largest annual gainer in more than 8.5 years, bolstering expectations that inflation will push higher this year as the labor market hits full employment. Remember, No inflation, No […]
Fed May Have Misjudged Low Inflation $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Expect President Trump to fill the Fed vacancies with pro-growth advocates. Econ 101, No inflation, No growth. Tuesday, the expected outgoing Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen acknowledged that the central bank is puzzled by the persistence of unusually low inflation and that it might have […]
Fed Must See Higher Prices Before Another Rate Hike $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX The Federal Reserve should wait until there are clear signs that American paychecks and prices are rising before raising interest rates again, a Fed bank president and FOMC voter, said Monday, warning that moving too fast would be a policy “misstep.” Chicago […]
Trump Rally Extends, Inflation Under Control In The US $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Lower costs for gas, airline tickets, new & used cars and wireless mobile phone plans kept US consumer prices flat in June. US inflation is still muted. The unchanged reading followed a drop of 0.1% in May, the US Labor Department said […]
Fed Chairwoman Gets Investors Attention Again $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX The focus Thursday was Fed Chairwoman Yellen’s testimony before the US Congress as the market posted another record close. Wednesday’s testimony confirmed this year’s next rate hike/s and QE policy tightening process that the market expected, but the discussions about the longer-term Neutral rate of […]
Markets Bet on a Fed Rate Hike in December The FOMC mins showed a discussion of inflation with the current low figures being dismissed as being due to technical issues rather than underlying trends. In an environment where inflation is generally low, technical distortions assume a lot more importance. A 0.4% drop in consumer price […]
Traders Believe that the US Economy is not as Strong as Fed Thinks $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX The head of NYSE floor operations for UBS, Art Cashin, said he doubts the Fed will be able to raise interest rates again this year because of underlying weakness in the US economy. “The Fed is going to […]
Chances of Rate Hike Falls as Fed Cuts Debt Fed officials have indicated they will begin to reduce the central bank’s $4.5-T of Treasury and mortgage debt. The debt was bought from banks for several years after the Y 2008 financial crisis as a way of pushing down interest rates to help the economy recover. […]
Gold’s Price Rise Triggers Mining Stocks’ Rally $GDX, $SBLG, $GFI, $NEM, $EXCFF Just about a week ago it looked like Gold’s Y 2017 rally was running out of steam, and in danger of losing sight of the psych mark at 1,200 oz. A number of major Gold stocks which had outperformed the precious Yellow metal […]
Hawkish FOMC Member said, “March Rate Hike Possible” $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX A FOMC member Thursday added his hawkish tone to a growing group of Fed officials who are indicating that they could raise rates in March. FOMC member Jerome Powell said in a TV interview that he believed the Fed was close to achieving […]
US Stocks Finished Flat to Unchanged Wednesday $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX The major US averages finished Wednesday’s session flat to unchanged, as the S&P 500 (+0.1%) and the NAS Comp (+0.2%) closed with modest gains while the DJIA (-0.2%) under-performed. Black Gold finished 0.3% higher at 52.36 bbl after seeing solid losses during the overnight […]
Gold Outlook: Do Not See Fed Interest Rate Increase in 2016 $GLD A US Fed interest-rate increase this year should not shake investors’ faith in Gold, according to Australia’s 2nd-largest producer. Bullion is trading near the lowest level in more than 3 months. Prices fell on speculative worries that central banks are ready to curb […]
Janet Yellen from Jackson Hole: More QE in Sight $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX Friday, US Fed Chairwoman Janet Yellen suggestion that she may consider further asset purchases aka QE to boost the anemic economy is yet another political “band aid”. Ms. Yellen, speaking Friday at a conference of central bankers and economists in Jackson Hole, […]
Japan’s Economy Stagnant, Tax Hike Delayed The Cabinet of Japanese Prime Minister Shinzo Abe has approved the delay of a planned hike of the nation’s consumption by 2.5 years. The Cabinet also decided to delay other measures related to the tax hike, including a planned exemption of some food items from the tax hike from 8 […]
Top Fed Officials Pushing for Interest Rate Hikes $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX As central bankers converge on Jackson Hole Thursday for an annual conference on monetary policy, a couple of top US Fed officials took the chance to renew a push for interest-rate hikes, citing improvement in employment and inflation. “The case is strengthening” for […]
Key Economic Data Does Not Reflect Pending ‘Disaster’ $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX July New Home Sales and August Philadelphia Fed NonManufacturing Survey Home Sales: +12.4%/ Philly Fed: -4 points; Orders: -14.9 points The Big Q: With housing and hiring looking really good, where is the economic disaster we keep hearing about? The notion that the […]
Janet Yellen’s Remarks Anything But “Dovish” Monday, US Federal Reserve Chairwoman Janet Yellen said that interest rate hikes are likely on the way because “positive economic forces outweigh the negative” for the United States now that risks from earlier this year have diminished. In Monday’s public comment from any US central banker before a Key […]
June Fed Interest Rate Hike In Sight $DIA, $SPY, $QQQ, $VXX The US Fed officials said it would appropriate to raise interest rates in June if economic data points to stronger Q-2 growth as well as firming inflation and employment, according to the FOMC mins from their policy meeting in April. That view suggests the […]
Wednesday’s Technical Outlook for DJIA (.DJI) $DIA, $.DJI The Wall Street rollercoaster was full on Tuesday, as all 3 US major stock market indexes reversed Monday’s gains. The DJIA fell 180 pts to close at 17,529.90, the NAS Comp fell 1.25%, to 4,715.72 and the S&P 500 shed 0.94% to finish at 2,047.21. Wall Street was […]