Opinion – Monday 23 January 2017

In a defiant and brief speech, President Trump made it clear that from now on “It’s going to be only America first” and in what has now become a great economic debate he reiterated his view that “Protection will lead to great prosperity and strength”. Against...

Opinion – Friday 20 January 2017

Markets continue to digest Fed Chair Janet Yellen’s speech yesterday which was seen as mildly more hawkish while yesterday’s positive US economic data played into that view. The ECB also met yesterday with ECB President Draghi coming off as slightly dovish in...

Opinion – Thursday 19 January 2017

It has been a reversal back to US Dollar strength – including a late session kick along from the Fed Chair, more on that below – the Bloomberg Spot Dollar index closing up 0.35% before she stepped up to the plate, and another ½% since. Most major crosses are...

Opinion – Wednesday 18 January 2017

Never underestimate the ability of markets to discount the same news twice. Or in the case of the US Dollar, the ability to ignore a relevant piece of news one day only to react with alarm to it a day or two later. So it is that on Monday, markets completely ignored...

Opinion – Tuesday 17 January 2017

In 1979 President Carter endorsed a bill to have a holiday in honour of Martin Luther King (MLK), but a Conservative Congress at the time refused to pass the bill. Eventually President Reagan signed the holiday into law in 1983 and it was first observed three years...

Opinion – Monday 16 January 2017

Ignoring the October 7 ‘flash crash’, Sterling has fallen to its lowest level against the US Dollar in over 30 years this morning (since 28 June 1985 to be precise). A two cent drop at the Wellington market open which has continued this morning in London with USD/GBP...