Adopting a V shaped trade throughout the day, Sterling largely parred the gains that it had enjoyed throughout overnight Asian and early European trading this morning. By midday, the Pound had lost more than 1% of the gains it had made during the overnight sessions following the technical agreement of the Northern Irish backstop agreement. However, as markets began to orientate themselves around May’s Cabinet meeting this afternoon and react to the Prime Minister’s attitude and words during her appearance in the Commons this afternoon, Sterling began to rally once again. Given the lack of resignations during the reading period of the technical agreement agreed in Brussels yesterday, Sterling traders remain optimistic for May’s forthcoming statement outside of Number 10. The speech had been expected to take place around 5pm, however, will little sign of resolution within the Cabinet meeting thus far, it is likely that her appearance will be delayed for up to two hours. Fallout will therefore be measured within the New York and Asian sessions, with European able to have their say tomorrow. Yesterday’s deadline for a reformed budget proposal from the Italian coalition to the European Commission has come and gone, without a package of resolution. The burden now lies upon the European institution to either invoke the excessive deficit procedure, punitively approaching the fiscally irresponsible state, or, pursue a more conciliatory tone. Consumer Price Index data within the United Kingdom came in flat this morning, with annualised and month on month inflation underwhelming consensus expectations. The weak data still showed above-target inflation, however, at 0.1% below expectations, the data undermined the confidence in the need to normalise monetary policy should a stable Brexit be achieved.
Discussion and Analysis by Charles Porter
Oil Price Pre TT or Trump Tariffs, the oil price seesawed around but mostly reverted to its mean over a few trading sessions unless a major piece of economic, political or trade news arose. All that has gone out of the window with steady declines in session after session, so in case you have been […]
Stagflation USA This is the spectre confronting Federal Reserve Chair Powell and the wider USA. It is unusual simultaneously to have both rising unemployment and higher prices with the consequence of rising inflation, but that is where the USA stands today, in the face of the TT or Trump tariffs. Unsurprisingly, despite POTUS offering his […]
Asia on Fire The TWD or Taiwan Dollar has scarcely featured in most FX traders’ consciousness until the past four weeks, when the NTD has roared up over 10%. The Korean Won has managed a respectable 6%, the Thai Baht and the Malaysian Ringgit 5% and the Singapore Dollar 4%. So what’s behind it? The […]