TGIF:
This week has closed with a bang. A Federal Open Market Committee decision last night, more Brexit news than you can shake a stick at and a Euro that just can’t make up its mind all added to the confusion. This morning, DUP leader Arlene Foster kicked Sterling markets into a spiral with the Pound soon trading below 1.30 against the Dollar. Pushing the losses within cable to a little over 1.5 percent in 48 hours, the leader of the Northern Irish party said that May could not count on her party’s support on the incumbent Brexit deal. The Northern Irish politician slammed May’s Brexit plan, as a move against the Union and a danger to the stability of the United Kingdom. The move was less pronounced against an already subdued Euro, allowing EURGBP to continue its descent through 0.87. The Fed’s interest rate decision last night left the US Dollar virtually unchanged. Ahead of the event, futures markets attached an 80% probability of a 25-basis point interest rate hike at their December meeting. Following the event, the situation and market expectations remained almost entirely unchanged. Unsurprisingly, therefore, treasury yields were little changed with the US and Asian session last night leaving the value of the US Dollar unchanged. At market open in Europe this morning, there was a different story, with the greenback closing some 0.4% stronger than its rate at market open this morning. Moving into the weekend, any development on Brexit will continue to determine the Pound’s value.
Discussion and Analysis by Charles Porter
Weren’t Tariffs USD Negative? The Dollar proved sensitive to headlines regarding trade during the US overnight session. However, contrary to what many commentaries would have you believe, as the risk of tariffs escalated the Dollar rose. The 90-day pause following Trump’s April ‘liberation day’ tariffs had been set to expire this coming Wednesday. To the […]
Dollar Reserves With the passing of Trump’s original deadline for the reimposition of liberation day tariffs yesterday, markets have breathed a sigh of relief. July VIX futures continued to slide lower. Moreover, what may surprise anyone who had been expecting the issue of tariffs to resurface following the passing of Trump’s new deadline, so too […]
Big Girls Don’t Cry A bond market tantrum and one of the sharpest one day sell offs in Sterling for several years appear to have been catalysed by the Chancellor’s appearance in PMQs yesterday. First: the back story. This Labour government has faced some embarrassment in recent weeks trying to get its welfare bill through […]