It is CPI Day in America. Bloomberg Economist expects a 0.3% increase in February consumer prices. On a year-over-year basis, the consensus is 3.7%. I guess we will find out how in line the consensus is with the actual numbers in 15 minutes. Meanwhile, Atlanta’s international community is looking at the following foreign exchange rates … Continue reading It is CPI Day. Hold on to your inflation horses …
Around 6:31 am yesterday, approximately three and one-half hours prior to Federal Reserve Board chairman Jerome Powell’s testimony before the U.S. House Committee on Financial Services, the price of the U.S. dollar in terms of the euro, British pound, Japanese yen, Canadian dollar, and the Eastern Caribbean dollar was as follows: USD/EUR=0.9193 USD/GBP=0.7858 USD/JPY=149.7394 USD/CAD=1.3582 … Continue reading Dollar weakens after Powell’s testimony to Congress. Was it something he said?
Last night’s Super Tuesday primary victories for former U.S. president Donald J. Trump and incumbent president Joseph R. Biden were no surprise. So boring were the returns that I was in bed by 8:30 pm. For us mortals, the electorate, the worn-out questions are, “Which of these candidates best represents me?” and “Which of these … Continue reading Trump or Biden. Who can best obscure the battle on Mount Olympus?
It is 10:09 pm EST and the USD/JPY is trading at 150.4809 and the AUD/USD is at 0.6502. Former U.S. president Donald J. Trump got a victory in the U.S. Supreme Court where the court held that the state of Colorado did not have the authority to remove a federal candidate from their primary election … Continue reading On the eve of Super Tuesday, Trump gets a major U.S. Supreme Court victory …
The U.S. Bureau of Economic Analysis gave the Federal Open Market Committee another reason to sing, “Should I Stay or Should I Go?” this morning as the Bureau presented its read on changes in consumer price levels. The Personal Consumption Price Index, the preferred price level barometer of the Federal Reserve System, increased 2.8% between … Continue reading It appears that the foreign exchange and bond markets were ready for the PCE report.
The pound-dollar and euro-dollar were flat today, 27 February 2024, with the dollar yen making the biggest move between 9:14 am and 4:15 pm. According to data I obtained from Bloomberg, the GBP/USD increased three pips, from 1.2682 to 1.2685. The EUR/USD decreased four pips, from 1.0848 to 1.0844. The USD/JPY increased 1600 pips moving … Continue reading Again, foreign exchange and bond yields looked flat today and I wonder if the US really wants lower rates.
10-year bond yield and currency data from Bloomberg paint a quiet day in those markets. The GBP/USD stayed flat between 9:30 am to 4:15 pm with the rate going from 1.2686 to 1.2684. The EUR/USD was flat as well with ever so slight dollar weakening from 1.0847 to 1.0851 this afternoon. The Japanese yen demonstrated … Continue reading A quiet day yesterday in the United States as foreign exchange markets got ready for Asia to open.
In comments made last week by a number of members of the Federal Open Market Committee, traders and investors should hold their horses on a cut in overnight banking rates anytime before June 2024. There appears to be some sentiment among Committee members that reducing the overnight lending rate between banks (federal funds rate) and … Continue reading I see baby Boomers seeking yield. Will the U.S. central banking system accommodate them?
There was a scene in an episode of “Game of Thrones” where Jamie Lannister and his men sacked a castle and took off with loads of grain and other food stuff. That is how the vast majority of us feel during tax season: that the government, like Jamie Lannister, is coming around to haul away more … Continue reading Governments create bond markets and tax burdens. Keep your political activity within that parameter….
Lawyers Write the Bets. Bankers Sell the Bets. 