Tag Archives: BOJmeetings

morning-coffee

Euro Wobbles On ECB’s Cautious Stance, Dollar Wavers

Here’s today’s ‘Just A Minute’ bringing you a 60 second summary of what’s happening in the financial markets:

Main Trading Event Of The Day: CAD Employment Change @ 12.30 GMT

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING TODAY

Euro Wobbles On ECB’s Cautious Stance, Dollar Wavers

The euro was on the backfoot early today after European Central Bank President Mario Draghi struck a cautious note on the euro zone economy. The European Central Bank’s decision yesterday to leave interest rates unchanged was not unexpected, but Draghi said the Ukraine crisis threatened the economy and weakened the euro. The euro traded little changed at $1.3360 after falling about 0.15 percent overnight. The currency which hit a nine-month low of $1.3333 on Wednesday stands to lose about 0.5 percent on the week.

Traders are also watching out for the outcome of the Bank of Japan’s monetary policy meeting later in the day for any cues. While the BOJ is expected to stand pat on policy, a weaker assessment of the economy by policymakers could stoke expectations of further monetary easing and dent the yen.

euro

Draghi Blames Italy As Recession Tarnishes Euro Area

Mario Draghi has blamed Italy itself for its third recession since 2008.The day after data showed the euro-area’s third-biggest economy unexpectedly contracted last quarter, the European Central Bank president singled out his country’s lack of structural reform and the disincentive for investment it engenders. This followed an opening statement regarding the region’s uneven recovery. The comments may increase pressure on Italian Prime Minister Matteo Renzi to turn around an economy with youth unemployment above 40 percent and a recession that threatens the 18-nation currency bloc’s nascent revival. The ECB president’s comments on his homeland were blunter than normal, adding to the contrast with countries such as Spain that have engaged in more structural adjustments.

Gold Climbs To 3-Week High As Iraq Tensions Rise

Gold has advanced to the highest level in three weeks, due to end the longest run of weekly losses since September as haven demand increased on unrest in the Middle East and tension over Ukraine. Bullion for immediate delivery rose as much as 0.5 percent to $1,318.72 an ounce, the highest since July 18. A fourth day of gains would make it the longest rally since June. Fighting in Ukraine and the Middle East helped gold rebound this year from the biggest drop in more than three decades. Gold has risen 1.9 percent this week even though the dollar reached a nine-month high against the euro on signs the U.S. is recovering while Europe’s economy falters. Prices dropped for the previous three weeks. European Central Bank President Mario Draghi yesterday signaled monetary policy will diverge from the U.S. for an extended period of time.

gold

That sums up today’s highlights! Don’t forget to keep in touch via the social media platforms for all the latest trading updates of the day. We hope you have a profitable day on the markets.

 

Not a Banc De Binary trader?

Sign In
just-a-minute-sample-B

BOJ Holds Off Boosting Stimulus

Here’s today’s ‘Just A Minute’ bringing you a 60 second summary of what’s happening in the financial markets:

Main Trading Event Of The Day: BOJ Press Conference

WHAT WE’RE WATCHING TODAY:

BOJ Holds Off Boosting Stimulus as Economic Recovery Seen

The Bank of Japan has held back adding extra stimulus as policy makers said the world’s third-biggest economy can maintain a recovery even with last week’s increase in the sales tax. Governor Haruhiko Kuroda maintained a pledge to expand the monetary base at a pace of 60 trillion yen to 70 trillion yen ($681 billion) per year. The economy has continued to recover moderately, albeit with some fluctuations due to the consumption tax hike, according to the BOJ. While the central bank highlighted a pickup in private investment and increasing industrial production, economists predict that the BOJ will boost stimulus by July when the strength of an economic rebound will become clearer. The BOJ is gauging the extent of an anticipated setback to the economy and prospects for achieving its 2 percent inflation goal after last week’s 3-percentage-point increase in the sales tax, the first since 1997. The price goal excludes the effects of changes in the sales tax. Kuroda has stated that Japan won’t see a repeat of the recession that followed the sales tax increase in 1997, pointing to Japan’s now-stronger financial system and an absence of a regional financial crisis that hurt the country’s exports then. The yen weakened after the announcement, trading at 102.96 per dollar in Tokyo, up 0.1 percent. The Topix index, which has climbed 6.8 percent over the past year, fell 1.7 percent, down for a third day after technology shares extended a retreat.

UK Economic Recovery ‘Not Yet Secure’

The UK’s recent economic growth might be short term and recovery is “not yet secure”, according to the British Chambers of Commerce (BCC). Recovery could stall as it relies on consumer spending, while personal debt levels are said to be too high. The BCC’s economic survey for the first quarter found that UK export orders and sales in services were at all-time highs and that manufacturing was growing consistently but challenges persist despite the progress. UK growth is still reliant on consumer spending, driven by a resurgent housing market and a declining savings ratio. Personal debt levels need to fall and it will be hard to maintain growth in the medium term without significant structural changes to the UK economy. Britain’s current account deficit was the largest in the G7 group of major industrialised nations, and could pose long-term risks if left unchecked. On Monday, Chancellor George Osborne announced further measures to help boost British exporters which would make it much less risky for banks to lend to exporting firms.

Tech Stocks Sell-Off Penetrates Through World Markets

Growing concerns over technology stocks weighed hard on stock markets around the world early this week. The latest bout of nerves started last Friday when mainstays of the Internet economy such as Google, which has surged over the past year, was hammered as investors had a change of heart and decided prices were too high. The technology-heavy Nasdaq dropped 2.6 percent on Friday, its biggest one-day drop since February. It was down a further 1.4 percent Monday at 4,072. In Europe, the FTSE 100 closed down 1.1 percent at 6,622.84 while Germany’s DAX fell 1.9 percent to 9,510.85. The CAC-40 in France ended 1.1 percent lower at 4,436.08. In the U.S., the Dow Jones industrial average was down 0.8 percent at 16,278 while the broader S&P 500 index fell 1 percent to 1,847. Renewed concerns over Ukraine also unsettled investors, particularly in Europe where investors will be looking for further clues on the economic outlook later today.

stock markets

That sums up today’s highlights! Remember to keep in touch via our Facebook, Twitter, Google+ and LinkedIn pages for all the latest news and developments in the financial markets today.

We hope you have a profitable day on the markets!

Not a Banc De Binary trader?

Sign In