Opinion – Friday 10 May 2019

U.S. stocks capped a fourth day of losses, though finished well off the lows of the day, while the Japanese Yen strengthened versus the dollar as investors assessed the likelihood of fresh tariffs just hours before they are due to take effect. The yuan fell to its...

Opinion – Thursday 9 May 2019

U.S. Stock-Index Futures tumbled after President Donald Trump said China “broke the deal” that he was negotiating on trade, days after he threatened to raise tariffs on billions of dollars in Chinese imports. S&P 500 Index futures contracts expiring in June fell...

Opinion – Wednesday 8 May 2019

Seven days into May, and while the stock market’s 2019 miracle remains intact, it’s starting to show cracks. A hundred words of Donald Trump tariff tweeting has quickly become $500 billion in value erased in the S&P 500. Dread is creeping in. The index is down...

Opinion – Friday 3 May 2018

Wednesday brought a non-event in the Federal Open Market Committee meeting, which was followed by a large sell-off in the stock market, at least by recent standards. But we should not reverse engineer this move on the basis that the market in its infinite wisdom was...

Opinion – Thursday 2 May 2019

The minutes after the release of the Federal Reserve’s interest-rate decision had all the looks of another dovish surprise from the world’s most important central bank. While the Fed left its benchmark lending rate unchanged, it dropped the interest paid on excess...

Opinion – Wednesday 1 May 2019

U.S. Equity Futures advanced after Apple Inc.’s upbeat forecast, with traders expecting lower than average volumes for global stocks today due to holiday closures in much of Asia and Europe. The New Zealand Dollar sank after hiring unexpectedly declined. Futures on...

Opinion – Tuesday 30 April 2019

U.S. stocks rose above their record high at the start of a week packed with data that will provide clues on global economic growth. Bonds fell. Financial companies led gains in the S&P 500 Index, while real-estate shares retreated. Benchmark...

Opinion – Monday 29 April 2019

U.S. economic growth accelerated in the first quarter on a big boost from inventories and trade that offset slowdowns in consumer and business spending, with President Donald Trump touting the report as much stronger than expected. Gross Domestic Product expanded at a...

Opinion – Friday 26 April 2019

Major U.S. stock Indices closed mixed as earnings reports sparked a rally in big technology companies and sent industrial shares lower. The US Dollar extended gains to a four-month high. While the tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 reached a record following strong results from...

Opinion – Thursday 25 April 2019

U.S. equities edged lower as investors assessed corporate earnings and economic data. Treasuries joined a global rally in sovereign bonds and the US Dollar extended its rally to a four-month high. The S&P 500 Index slumped 0.2 percent from Tuesday’s record close....

Opinion – Wednesday 24 April 2019

U.S. stock Indices closed at record highs on the back of better-than-forecast earnings while the US Dollar strengthened and Treasury yields dipped. The S&P 500 Index and the Nasdaq Composite marked new milestones as Twitter, Lockheed Martin and Hasbro climbed...

Opinion – Tuesday 23 April 2019

U.S. equities eked out a gain in light volume yesterday as investors prepared for a deluge of earnings news. Oil jumped after the White House said it will scrap waivers that allow the purchase of some Iranian crude. The S&P 500 Index rose 0.1 percent even as most...

Opinion – Thursday 18 April 2019

U.S. stocks fell to a one-week low as the drop in health-care providers extended amid concern about policy changes and the latest batch of corporate earnings did little to boost confidence in the economy. Treasuries edged higher. The S&P 500 Index closed at 2,900...

Opinion – Wednesday 17 April 2019

Most U.S. stocks rose as a group of high-profile earnings offered divergent clues on the strength of the American economy. The 10-year Treasury yield reached its highest level since the March Federal Reserve meeting. The S&P 500 eked out a gain, while the Nasdaq...