SGM-FX insights

Word of the year   Lockdown! Collins, a household name for producing the rival to the Oxford English Dictionary, has chosen ‘lockdown’ as its word of the year for 2020. In fact, our worlds have been impacted so greatly by the new Coronavirus that 6 out of the shortlisted 10 words included reference to the […]

Oil-where is the price heading?   The price of WTI is currently drooping at $37.14 and with the USA and Libya due to increase production shortly, that price is unlikely to rise. Combined with OPEC’s forecast that demand for oil is now 2.5 million barrels per day lower for Q4 2020 than the 2019 forecast […]

US Dollar and a Biden Victory   Yesterday the market reflected the belief of a likely Biden victory which is expected in turn to cause a period of volatility. Biden is expected to spend large on an economic stimulus and to take a less restrictive approach to international trade which will strengthen other currencies versus […]

To the polls!   Today is Election Day in the United States with markets braced for considerable volatility expected through the rest of the week. Only around an hour ago campaigns finished with President Trump walking off a stage in Michigan, concluding his campaign in the same state as he did in 2016. It will […]

At the Start (of what promises to be a bumpy week for markets)   Following the major moves last week, it is as well to start with a reminder of where markets finished on Friday night ahead of the US Presidential Election: Oil having fallen by more than 10%, WTI at $35.72. The Dow at […]

European Central Bank News Conference   While economic policy was left unchanged and no further stimulus was announced yesterday, it was clear that that was firmly on the agenda for the next ECB meeting in December. As a reminder of the numbers the ECB has set aside EUR 1.35 Trillion for bond purchases in the […]

Tumble   Stock, currency and bond markets alike burst into life yesterday. Following the close of the German and French major stock market indexes some 4% in the Red, the price of assets across the globe started to reflect growing discomfort with the macro economy. US stock futures had initially shrugged off the sell-off taking […]

China Communist Party   Today is Day 3 out of the 4 Day meeting of the CCP and where the Central Committee will decide on the economic and social policy goals for the next 5 years. Announcements to watch out for: GDP goals– having missed the last 6.5% goal between 2016 and 2020, the question […]

8 – Lucky for some!   Not for others! Considered the luckiest number of all in China, the number 8 is a forbearance of prosperity and fortune. It’s pronunciation, ‘Ba’ is similar in sound to a word pronounced ‘Fa’, meaning to make a fortune. The belief in the good luck that the number 8 will […]

5G-warp speed tech for 5G or 5th Generation Users   In the hell that is Stratford City, East London on Saturday afternoon at the Apple Shop, my role as (supportive) chauffeur on the mission to secure a new IPhone 12 Pro, allowed me ample time in the queue to research what a mind bending improvement […]

US Election   With just 11 days to go to the US Presidential Election, every pundit worth his salt is drawing up the market risks and probabilities of the outcome despite the fact that no two elections can be the same. So making the assumption that more than enough has already been expended in the […]

Interference   We have become increasingly accustomed of late to sideswiping headlines gripping price action and throwing currencies in entirely opposite directions. The past 24 hours provided no respite to the torrent of headlines. But the salience and long run ramifications of yesterday’s major headlines could be far more significant than we are used to. […]