GDP revision seen on stronger wages – ING
ING economists Lynn Song and Min Joo Kang anticipate an upward revision to Japan’s 2025 Q4 GDP, supported by stronger winter bonuses and improving real cash earnings as inflation cools. They expect growth to be revised from 0.1% to 0.3% quarter-on-quarter, while producer price inflation is projected to remain stable at 2.2%. Wage gains to […]
Crude Oil explodes higher as Strait of Hormuz crisis deepens
WTI crude oil surged about 11% on Friday, breaching above $87.00, its highest level since October 2023, in a session dominated by a single massive bullish candle that dwarfed every session of the past three months. This marks the fourth straight day of accelerating risk-premium gains, following Thursday’s 5% climb. Price has now rallied more […]
Fed policy is well positioned
Susan Collins, President of the Federal Reserve (Fed) Bank of Boston, said that to cut interest rates again, the Fed needs to see clear evidence of inflation ebbing, adding that she sees no need to change the monetary policy stance urgently at a gathering in Springfield, Massachusetts on Friday. Key quotes: Expects Fed rate target […]
XAG/USD range-bound as RSI holds near 50 and MACD flattens
Silver (XAG/USD) trades modestly higher on Friday as the US Dollar (USD) and Treasury yields ease following softer-than-expected US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) data. Despite the intraday bounce, the white metal remains on track for its first weekly decline in three weeks. At the time of writing, XAG/USD is trading around $84.27, up nearly 2.73% on […]
Consolidation near highs with upside risks – OCBC
OCBC strategists Sim Moh Siong and Christopher Wong report that USD/MYR is consolidating near recent highs after an early-week run-up, supported by broader USD strength and soggy risk sentiment. Geopolitical headlines around Iran and energy markets are seen as key drivers. They warn that further escalation could trigger risk-off flows, weakening high-beta Asian FX including […]
Inflation problem is broader than just tariffs
Beth Hammack, President of the Federal Reserve (Fed) Bank of Cleveland, said that inflation is too high, adding that inflationary pressures are broad-based at the United States (US) Monetary Policy Forum in New York City on Friday. Key quotes: Inflation is ‘too high,’ pressures are broad based. Fed rate policy likely on hold for quite […]
