Dollar gains dominated the European morning on Wednesday after Fed Dudley’s hawkish comments overnight and the Euro dipped to below 1.0550 against the US currency, although rising German yields eased net selling pressure to some extent.
German consumer process rose 0.6% in February with the annual inflation rate rising to 2.2% from 1.9% previously and this was the highest rate for over four years.
With German unemployment continuing to decline, there will be expectations of higher wage settlements which could also unsettle the Bundesbank and increase pressure for a tighter monetary policy.
EU Inflation With the ECB annual symposium meeting in sunny Sintra, Portugal, inflation is very much on President Lagarde’s mind ; that is because it is showing signs of rising with the monthly inflation rate showing an increase of 0.3% and that presages a break above the target 2% rate just as she and her colleagues […]
Gold With Gold accounting for the second highest proportion of Central Bank reserves after the USD and the mood music shifting to it assuming a greater influence on future reserves management, it is worth looking at the numbers behind that. In the 1960s, Central Banks held the highest amount historically of 38,000 tons of gold. […]
US Dollar Markets not liking POTUS pontificating on the Federal Reserve’s interest rate policy on Wednesday, and less still on his view about the competence or otherwise of Chairman Powell. Given the past few weeks, the betting is that Powell’s time is over either being replaced or having a Trump nominee second guessing him but […]