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BoJ maintains accommodative stance The Bank of Japan has just reaffirmed its dovish stance at its policy meeting, and its commitment to cap 10-year JGB yields at 0.25%. Following on from a slight firming of US yields overnight, the Yen has plummeted in Asia as the US/Japan rate differential looks set to widen even more.

28-04-2022 04:58 GMT by Jeffrey Halley

Oil falls on rouble report, gold extends slide

Oil slides on rouble buying plan Oil markets were steady overnight as most of the news around the Russian gas ban on Poland and Bulgaria has been priced into the late New York session previously. In Asia, oil prices are sliding which I put down to a combination of two things.

28-04-2022 04:54 GMT by Jeffrey Halley

Meta boosts Asian markets

Asian equities surge higher with US futures Wall Street’s main indexes had a sideways day overnight, finishing almost unchanged from the day before. The Meta results though, have lifted US index futures sharply as Meta rallied by over 15% in extended trading, lifting other tech heavyweights.

28-04-2022 04:17 GMT by Jeffrey Halley

Meta makes Asia feel better

Equity markets are higher in Asia today as US index futures rally after Meta managed to post minuscule growth in user numbers overnight along with robust financials. The results came too late to save OTC trading on Wall Street from a sideways day, but post-close extended trading has allowed the FOMO gnomes, always on the lookout for any sliver of a reason to buy, to work their magic in Asian hours.

28-04-2022 04:09 GMT by Jeffrey Halley

Oil eases, gold lower

Oil It was a busy day for energy traders after Germany signaled they were ready to support a gradual ban on Russian oil, the EIA crude oil inventory report posted a small crude build, and King Dollar continues to weigh on commodity prices. Too much to digest, but the key takeaway is that oil prices will likely remain above the USD 100 level as long the dollar doesn’t have another massive rally.

27-04-2022 13:57 GMT by Edward Moya

Stocks fight back, Wall Street digest tech earnings, bitcoin rebounds

US stocks attempted to rebound following strong results from Microsoft and optimism that most corporate balance sheets are still strong. Alphabet disappointed with both the top and bottom line as YouTube revenue came in sharply lower than expectations.

27-04-2022 13:56 GMT by Edward Moya

Yen tumbles ahead of BoJ meeting

The Japanese yen has reversed directions on Wednesday and is sharply lower. USD/JPY is trading at 128.54 in the North American session, up 1.04% on the day. Bank of Japan may tweak policy The Bank of Japan holds its policy meeting later today, but investors shouldn't expect any major moves.

27-04-2022 11:39 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Oil falls, gold looks for direction

Oil prices slip even as gas prices soar Natural gas prices in Europe have understandably spiked in the aftermath of Russia's decision to cut off Poland and Bulgaria. Suddenly the market is forced to price in the Kremlin taking similar action against much larger customers, having decided that the threat of Europe imposing the embargo was low given certain resistance.

27-04-2022 11:05 GMT by Craig Erlam

Markets stabilise

Markets steady but unease remains We're seeing a little bit of positivity back in the markets on Wednesday but there's still plenty of underlying unease amid a mixed bag of earnings and rising uncertainty. Earnings season will continue to be a core focus for investors, despite the wide array of other factors that have been dominating market sentiment for months. It has gone quite well so far but it's clear that there are some big challenges ahead which explain why we're not seeing the lift we ma

27-04-2022 11:01 GMT by Craig Erlam

Euro slides to 5-year low

The euro continues to lose ground and is down for a fifth successive day. EUR/USD has fallen close to 1% today, as it trades at 1.0542. Russia's comments weigh on markets The euro blues show no signs of easing, as the currency is getting pummeled by the US dollar.

27-04-2022 10:07 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Aussie rebounds as CPI jumps

The Australian dollar has finally turned things around after a nasty four-day slide. AUD/USD fell as much as 330 points during that time but is currently trading at 0.7149, up 0.37% on the day. CPI higher than expected Australian inflation continues to accelerate, with CPI in Q1 rising to 5.1% YoY, after a Q4 release of 3.5%.

27-04-2022 07:31 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Oil and gold look for direction

Oil trades sideways in Asia Oil markets reversed their losses from Monday overnight, rising after Russia announced natural gas export bans on Poland and Bulgaria from today unless they paid in roubles. Brent crude rose by 2.85% to USD 105.40, and WTI rallied by 3.10% to USD 101.60 a barrel.

27-04-2022 04:52 GMT by Jeffrey Halley

US dollar soars on risk-aversion

US dollar rises as investors seek safety The US dollar soared overnight as risk aversion swept financial markets, with the euro having a particularly painful session as Russian risks accelerated. The dollar index smashed through 102.00 on its way to a 0.56% gain to 102.30, where it remains in Asia today.

27-04-2022 04:44 GMT by Jeffrey Halley

Nasdaq slide sends Asia lower

China is the one bright spot for Asian equities today The buy-the-dip rally yesterday quickly ran out of steam in New York as Tesla stock plummeted and Russia announced an impending ban on natural gas exports to Poland and Bulgaria. Although US data held steady, the miss in earnings by Alphabet has darkened the move and the overnight price action across asset classes suggested a full-on move to defensive positioning.

27-04-2022 04:20 GMT by Jeffrey Halley

Jumpin’ Vlad Flash cuts his gas gas gas

Russian oil payment demands spooks the market The Ukraine/Russia conflict has suffered some headline fatigue of late, and more than a little complacency by the world’s financial markets, as China's slowdown fears grabbed centre-stage. With a nod to the Rolling Stones in the title of today’s newsletter, the economic ripples of the Ukraine conflict are back on the front pages.

27-04-2022 04:04 GMT by Jeffrey Halley

Oil rebounds, gold tries to find support

Oil moves higher Oil is making a comeback as energy traders focus on tightness in the diesel markets and shift the focus back to Russian energy supplies and the rising danger of nuclear war in Ukraine. Earlier crude prices got a boost after China's PBOC stepped up efforts to calm markets and as energy traders await China's mass COVID testing results, which could lead to even more lockdowns. The oil market has priced in enough demand destruction from China and crude prices should start to find s

26-04-2022 14:17 GMT by Edward Moya

Stocks tumble ahead of big tech earnings, soft earnings start this week, bitcoin reverses lower

US stocks see red.US stocks are declining as Wall Street abandons the tech trade ahead of massive tech earnings later this week and as global slowdown fears remain front and center as aggressive central bank tightening jitters won’t go away. Inflation won’t let up anytime soon as the Russian headlines suggest the war in Ukraine could see further escalations, which means inflation won't ease up and that will continue to drive central bank tightening fears.

26-04-2022 14:13 GMT by Edward Moya

Australian dollar falls below 0.72

Aussie steady after nasty slide The Australian dollar has stabilized after a sharp downturn, losing over 300 points since Thursday. AUD/USD is trading below the 72 line and is close to a 2-month low. All eyes are on Australia's inflation report for the March quarter, with CPI expected to accelerate to 4.6% YoY, after a 3.5% gain in February.

26-04-2022 10:26 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Bleeding euro falls to 2-year low

The euro remains on a downswing and has extended its losses for a fourth straight day. EUR/USD has dropped below the 1.07 line for the first time since March 2020. Euro drenched by April showers April has been nasty for the euro, which has fallen over 300 points.

26-04-2022 09:04 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Bank of Canada hints at half-point hike

The Canadian dollar has been on a nasty slide, falling around 2% since Thursday. There are no Canadian releases until GDP on Friday, which means that US releases during the week will have a significant impact on the movement of USD/CAD. Macklem says 0.50% hike on the table Bank of Canada Governor Tiff Macklem can usually be counted on for using clear and understandable language, which I'm always grateful for, as I vividly recall trying to decipher Alan Greenspan's Fedspeak years ago.

26-04-2022 07:07 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

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