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Geopolitical tensions continued to escalate in the Middle East over the week with the US and the UK carrying out multiple airstrikes on more than a dozen Houthi rebel targets in Yemen. Since mid-November Iranian-backed Houthi militants have attacked and harassed several vessels in the Red Sea and the Gulf of Aden, significantly disrupting commercial […]

The fears that have dragged on the stock market since August evaporated in November as global markets surged, reversing losses compounded over the three prior months. This comes as various economic indicators supported the view that major central banks had reached the peak of their tightening cycles. As of the end of November 2023, the […]

As the United States celebrated Thanksgiving on Thursday, global markets experienced a more subdued week. Most stock markets have shown a decent recovery from this time last year. Artificial intelligence chipmaker NVIDIA, the sixth-largest global company by market capitalisation, reported its third-quarter earnings, exceeding expectations but provided cautious guidance amid export restrictions to China. U.S. […]

Global equity markets experienced a rally over the week as investors processed slower inflation prints in various developed economies. The S&P 500 Index extended its strong gains from the previous two weeks, surpassing the 4,500 level for the first time since September. In the United States, October's core Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 0.23%, […]

The U.S. economy saw job creation decelerate in October, confirming persistent expectations for a slowdown and possibly taking some heat off the Federal Reserve in its fight against inflation. Nonfarm payrolls increased by 150,000 for the month, the Bureau of Labor Statistics on Friday. This figure represents the lowest monthly addition since June and is […]

Heightened geopolitical tensions and a surge in long-term bond yields to their highest level in 16 years had a negative impact on investor sentiment this week. The S&P 500 Index experienced its most significant weekly decline in a month. Among major U.S stock indices, the Nasdaq Composite Index was hit the hardest and came close […]

Investors are tending to their losses as the final quarter of 2023 commences, following a challenging September which saw global equity markets fall for a second consecutive month. It is also the second month in a row that each of the US's big three indices have posted losses with interest rates being a key factor weighing […]

In September, the U.S. economy saw the creation of 360,000 new jobs, and an extra 119,000 positions were included in the count through revisions. The print surged passed expectations of only 170,000 new jobs, re-igniting the bonds sell-off that has swept global markets over the past two weeks. The U.S. 10-year Treasury yields climbed by […]

In August, the core Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index, excluding food and energy, saw a modest 0.1% increase, marking the smallest monthly rise since November 2020. Over 12 months, the annual increase for core PCE was 3.9%, down from an upwardly revised 4.3% in July. This PCE index is a favoured economic indicator by […]

The Federal Reserve (Fed) paused its extended campaign against inflation this week, holding its benchmark interest rate steady and giving borrowers a breather after 11 hikes since March 2022. As expected, the Fed left its short-term lending benchmark at a target range of 5.25% to 5.50%, the level set at the previous meeting in July. […]