SGM-FX insights

US Dollar   Big move yesterday as the Dollar index rose to 93.67 its highest for a month on the back of rising US Treasury Bond Yields which saw the 10 Year go to 1.5270%. Breaching that 1.50% level is a psychological level that jolted currency markets and GBP had a range of 2 cents […]

Germany   As Germany goes to the polls, the realisation among voters is that whatever the outcome, the real contest will be settled as the parties divvy up their respective power bases to form the next ruling coalition-a process that is expected to take up to 3 weeks and has arithmetically 15 different permutations if […]

US Employment   Lots of statistics but broadly the direction is clear: the unemployment numbers in the US are declining despite some higher than expected figures in California. At the end of July there were a record 10.9 million job vacancies and the Federal Reserve is projecting 4.8% unemployment at year end. EUR/USD at 1.1720. […]

EU Inflation   The ECB’s belief is that from current 3% EU inflation will rise to 3.5% by November and then drop sharply back to 2% where it will stay for “years to come.” What can go wrong? Commodity prices continue their rise, supply chain bottlenecks squeeze goods’ prices and labour shortages continue. Having undershot […]

UK Christmas cancelled due to soaring gas prices?   Those who find it hard to join the price of gas to a potential Christmas cancellation need to know that gas price rises have resulted in at least 2 large fertiliser companies closing. Those companies produce Co2 as a by product precipitating a shortage of Co2. […]

London’s Tube Map   For the first time this century the tube map has been redrawn with the long awaited Northern Line extension which puts new stations Battersea and Nine Elms on the network as of 0530am on Monday. In case you are confused having over enjoyed yourselves last night and spotted the redrawn tube […]

US Core Consumer Price Index   Those like Federal Reserve Chair Powell who doubt the risk of inflation will be heartened by yesterday’s release which showed a slowing of a rise in core CPI at only 0.1% in August after a 0.3% rise in July. Inflation is not quite over as a risk however given […]

Vax on, Vax off   The relative calm regarding Covid-19 in the northern hemisphere has allowed economies to open up and realise the potential growth stored up over months of lockdowns and socio-economic restrictions. A good part of the true or at least the attributed root of the ability to open societies and economies once […]

Video Camera Glasses   Facebook and Rayban have co-operated on the development of glasses that will enable the wearer to answer the phone, check diary, read mail and surf the net. Well that’s OK then -providing you’re not driving at the time. They will cost USD 295 or GBP215 and will be widely available next […]

Australia   Locked down since July, New South Wales and crucially Sydney is preparing to ease restrictions from the end of September. Currently half of Australia’s 25 million population is locked down and pressure is increasing on the Australian government given its slowness in rolling out vaccines and with the onset of the summer down […]

US Dollar and Oil   The dollar rose 0.1% against the index basket to 92.25 and 10 year Treasury Yields reached 1.36% (the July 14 high was 1.42%). EUR stood at $1.1840. Oil WTI down almost a cent at $68.50 with evidence that consumption remains subdued in the major importing countries.   French Wine   […]

Chip Shortage   Ahead of the Munich Car show when all the top brass of the auto industry traditionally gather after the summer holidays, the CEO of Daimler said that not only would the chip shortage extend through 2022 but would last into 2023. That is code for an early warning about Daimler’s production figures […]