Cryptos: All News & Analysis

Can it still capitalise on the breakout? Bitcoin appeared to have made a very bullish move last week when it finally broke above $45,500 but since then, it's all been downhill. Sentiment in the broader markets has dipped in recent days and bitcoin has suffered as a result. Even prior to this, it failed to capitalise on the initial breakout which may have been a sign of what was to come. While the trend in the longer term may still be positive, the current environment isn't making life easy.

06-04-2022 17:10 GMT by Craig Erlam

Stocks extend post FOMC minutes, bitcoin lower

US stocks extended losses after the Fed minutes showed they are ready to deliver super-sized hikes and reduce its massive bond holdings at a maximum pace of USD 95 billion a month. Everyone knew the Fed was telegraphing the balance sheet reduction was coming and expectations were for the pace to be around USD 100 billion, so the USD 95 billion amount was initially viewed as dovish. The Fed noted that they preferred to deliver a half-point increase at the March meeting, but the uncertainty from

06-04-2022 15:34 GMT by Edward Moya

Stocks hit ahead of Fed minutes

Stock markets are taking a bit of a beating on Wednesday as investors start to fret again about the pace of monetary tightening. Fed mulling point hikes Cracks are starting to appear as it becomes clear that the central bank has little choice but to tackle inflation head-on, no matter the cost, after arriving late to the party with its first hike last month. It took a long time for the central bank to acknowledge the problem and much longer again before it eventually started raising rates and

06-04-2022 12:43 GMT by Craig Erlam

Choppy markets continue

It's been another choppy day in financial markets with Europe ending a mixed bag and US indices all in the red but to varying degrees. The markets are very indicative of the uncertainty that we continue to see from Ukraine/Russia negotiations to sanctions, interest rates, recession warnings, lockdowns etc. There's no end to the uncertainty, which makes the resilience we're seeing in stock markets all the more impressive. Europe and the US continue to tighten sanctions against Russia, albeit wi

05-04-2022 13:13 GMT by Craig Erlam

Caution ahead of more talks

European stocks are treading water on Monday and Wall Street is eyeing a similar open amid another cautious start to the week. Virtual talks are set to resume as Europe prepares fresh sanctions against Russia following the release of disturbing images over the weekend. Pressure is ramping up on Brussels to enforce a total ban on Russian energy imports in order to enforce real damage and punishment against the Kremlin for the invasion.

04-04-2022 09:14 GMT by Craig Erlam

Commodities and Cryptos: Oil pares losses, Gold struggles, Bitcoin steady

Oil Crude prices pared losses after a strong labor market showed consumer pocketbooks are growing and remote work is declining. Earlier, WTI crude tumbled below the $100 level as energy traders digested the Biden administration’s third time of tapping the SPR, no surprises from an OPEC+ meeting on output and as Saudi Arabia oil shipments dipped in March. The knee-jerk selloff from the SPR announcement of the release of 1-million barrels a day from the SPR over the next six months won’t have a

01-04-2022 10:40 GMT by Edward Moya

Worst quarter for stocks in two years, US data, Walgreens earnings, bitcoin lower

Equities fall on inflation jitters, Russia Stocks finished the quarter on a down note as the latest economic data shows inflation is weighing on the consumer and as President Putin vows to halt gas supplies to Europe unless payments are made in roubles. The worst quarter in two years isn’t so bad as the S&P 500 index is roughly 5% away from record highs. Wall Street will have a lot to debate over the next few months but a choppy stock market seems likely as no clear answers will be had on when

31-03-2022 12:34 GMT by Edward Moya

Equities drift lower

Equity markets are a little lower on Thursday, as the broad consolidation continues against the backdrop of gradual progress on Ukraine, fluctuating energy prices and inverting yield curves. There's plenty out there at the moment to make us nervous but at the same time, glimmers of hope after a nightmare start to the year. Talks between Ukraine and Russia are moving at a snail's pace and it's worth taking positive steps with a pinch of salt, but the noises coming from Turkey are as promising as

31-03-2022 09:14 GMT by Craig Erlam

US Close: Stocks edge lower, ADP in-line, Oil pares gains as gas demand continues to fall, Gold rallies as de-escalation optimism fades, Bitcoin hovers

US stocks declined as investors watched March inflation skyrocket in Europe, while waiting for any progress towards a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire deal. Stocks are going to have trouble rallying as geopolitics and inflation risks won't be going away anytime soon.

30-03-2022 15:52 GMT by Edward Moya

Ceasefire hopes short-lived

Stock markets are giving back some of their gains on Wednesday, as scepticism grows around Russia's intentions following yesterday's announcements. Reports on Tuesday suggested we're finally seeing a de-escalation in Ukraine, as Russia indicated its intentions to scale back certain military operations. While that was initially viewed as a first step towards a ceasefire, it wasn't long before doubts started to creep in which weighed on sentiment once more. All we're seeing here is cautious opti

30-03-2022 08:33 GMT by Craig Erlam

Stocks rally as Russia-Ukraine talks advance, 2s10s curve briefly inverted, bitcoin exhaustion

US stocks rallied after Russia-Ukraine talks brought hope that a potential de-escalation is nearing. Initially, risk appetite roared higher after Russia negotiator Medinsky said Russia will 'drastically, cardinally' cut military activity near Kyiv and Chernihiv. Progress in talks was not widely expected so Wall Street delivered a strong reaction.

29-03-2022 16:18 GMT by Edward Moya

Ceasefire talks lift stock markets

Stock markets across Europe are rallying on Tuesday, buoyed by positive noises coming from Turkey where Ukraine and Russia may be nearing a ceasefire agreement. While there are reportedly still plenty of gaps in the demands of the two teams, there appear to have been compromises found on some big issues including Ukraine's previous ambitions of NATO membership. The next couple of days could be crucial but the signs are promising which we're seeing reflected in the markets today. There has been

29-03-2022 08:39 GMT by Craig Erlam

US Close: Wild start on Wall Street, Biden’s Tax Fantasy, Apple’s Warning, China Lockdowns send oil lower, King Dollar sends gold lower, Bitcoin breakout

It’s been a bumpy start to the trading week as bond yields remain elevated as inflation fears continue to chip away whatever solid footing remains for the US economy. It is not 1970s style inflation yet, but eventually risk appetite will struggle as the robust consumer demand softens. Stocks have been resilient and have been somewhat supported on hopes that both the war in Ukraine won’t be a long one and that a lot of the inflation we are currently seeing will ease in the second half of the yea

28-03-2022 17:57 GMT by Edward Moya

A decent start to the week

European markets are starting the week on a positive note, with indices up close to 1% on the back of softer commodity prices and confirmed talks between Ukraine and Russia. Broadly speaking, stock markets remain in a consolidatory phase and have been for almost a couple of weeks but they've certainly received a mild boost at the start of the week. Whether that can be sustained or not may well depend on whether we can see progress in talks this week. Naturally, further talks between the two co

28-03-2022 13:05 GMT by Craig Erlam

Bitcoin - Buoyed by oil and gas claim

Can it break resistance? In the latest twist in the crypto space, Russian lawmaker Pavel Zavalny, claimed the country may consider accepting payment for oil and gas in bitcoin from friendly countries. I mean, this should seriously be taken with a pinch of salt for a number of reasons. Not least Russia's widely known opposition to cryptos.

25-03-2022 16:51 GMT by Craig Erlam

Market Insights Podcast (Episode 311)

Jonny Hart looks back on the week's business and markets news with OANDA Senior Market Analyst Ed Moya in New York. This week they discuss how financial markets reacted to the global impact from the war in Ukraine, oil markets, and cryptocurrencies. They also discuss what the week ahead has in store for financial markets.

25-03-2022 16:15 GMT by Edward Moya

US Close: OANDA - Stocks have another strong week, Oil turns positive after Aramco site hit, Gold edges lower, Bitcoin higher

US stocks posted another week of gains as investors watch developments in Russia’s war in Ukraine and as Fed rate hike expectations continue to grow. It seems the skyrocketing move higher with commodity prices has taken a break and that has allowed investors a chance to pile back into equities. Geopolitical risks remain very elevated and the rally in equities over the past two weeks is impressive.

25-03-2022 16:02 GMT by Edward Moya

Markets stabilize

European stock markets are making modest gains at the end of the week but broadly remain in consolidation, as has been the case throughout the week. Markets have priced in economic risks We appear to have hit a point in which the initial shock has been shrugged off and markets have corrected back to a point where the economic risks are deemed to be priced in. In the absence of any significant developments, equity markets have come to a relative standstill and could remain that way

25-03-2022 10:23 GMT by Craig Erlam

Stocks rally after decent data with focus on Ukraine, bitcoin benefits from risk-on rally

US stocks rose as investors assess the impact of the latest round of sanctions against Russia, mostly impressive US data, and as oil prices edge lower. Wall Street knows that the US economy is still looking pretty good but they are trying to figure out how aggressive the Fed will be with tightening, how high oil prices will get, and will the war in Ukraine be over in a few months' time.

24-03-2022 15:00 GMT by Edward Moya

Recovery losing momentum

It's been a relatively slow start to trading in equity markets as we approach the end of the week, with stocks losing the momentum that's driven the strong recovery in recent weeks. The recovery has arguably been overdone considering the invasion of Ukraine is ongoing and commodity prices are at sky-high levels and still prone to surges. But the fact that Ukraine and Russia remain in negotiations seems to be enough to keep investors on board. The threat of very high inflation and rapid rate hi

24-03-2022 12:14 GMT by Craig Erlam

Cryptos: all news & analysis