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Stock markets are enjoying some reprieve after a rocky start to the week and investors will be hoping earnings season provides more cause for optimism in the weeks ahead. The January blues are alive and well and with markets now eyeing up the possibility of four rate hikes this year, we may be approaching peak fear just in time for earnings season. We've quickly pivoted from the transitory inflation narrative to aggressive tightening including a combination of accelerated tapering, multiple rat

11-01-2022 09:41 GMT by Craig Erlam

Aussie yawns after retail sales jump

The Australian dollar continues to have a quiet week and is unchanged in Tuesday trade. In the European session, AUD/USD is trading at 0.7170. Australia's retail sales soar Australian consumers opened their purse strings in November, as retail sales jumped 7.3%, well above the consensus of 3.6%.

11-01-2022 09:25 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Euro calm, warning from Bundesbank

It continues to be quiet week for the euro, which is trading around 1.1340 in the European session. The currency markets are nervous and continue to be marked by range trading.

11-01-2022 07:37 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Oil consolidates, gold rallies

Oil consolidates Oil prices eased slightly overnight in corrective price action consistent with a consolidation of oil’s recent impressive price gains. Brent crude fell by 1.0% to USD 81.00, rising to USD 81.30 a barrel in Asia.

11-01-2022 06:17 GMT by Jeffrey Halley

Currency markets nervously range-trade

US dollar looking for direction The US dollar rallied sharply overnight as US equities headed south, only to give back most of those gains towards the end of the New York session as the Nasdaq recovered. US bond markets provided no direction with yields almost unchanged.

11-01-2022 06:07 GMT by Jeffrey Halley

Another mixed day for Asian equities

Asian markets mixed Wall Street had a schizophrenic session overnight, falling hard for most of the day as markets continued winding themselves up that the Federal Reserve could tighten by as early as March, amid escalating inflation concerns. It is very much a short-term phenomenon though, as US inflation break evens all the way from 1 to 10 years are still pricing in a return to a 2.0% inflation nirvana.

11-01-2022 05:16 GMT by Jeffrey Halley

Rate hike frenzy continues

It was another choppy session overnight in equity and currency markets, followed today, by another cautious Asian session on equity markets, with forex markets marching on the spot. In other words, business as usual for the past few days. Rate hike fever rises after US job reports Federal Reserve rate hike nerves continue to grow tauter after Friday’s fall in unemployment and rise in employment cost indexes.

11-01-2022 05:01 GMT by Jeffrey Halley

NAS100 - Vulnerable ahead of earnings season

OANDA Senior Market Analyst Craig Erlam discusses the NAS100 as it breaks through key support.

10-01-2022 15:01 GMT by Craig Erlam

Commodities and Cryptos: Oil softer as supply returns, Gold steady

Oil Crude prices are lower after Libya’s largest oil field resumed production, Kazakhstan’s TCO oilfields are back to normal levels, and as China's zero-COVID tolerance will lead to new restrictions. The oil market will likely remain very tight as the world learns to live with COVID. Travel bans will continue to be lifted as the focus will go to testing and that should do wonders for international travel once test makers have a better handle of the situation. Considering how much oil prices

10-01-2022 14:25 GMT by Edward Moya

US Close: Stocks slump as inflation fears drive Fed rate hike expectations, Dollar follows Treasury yields

US stocks are sliding as surging pricing pressures have the Fed on a fast-track to get rates back to neutral. Every trader over the weekend read the Goldman note that eyed four Fed rates hikes and balance sheet runoff in July, if not sooner. Surging yields are kryptonite for many tech stocks and that theme won't change until after we get past the first couple rate hikes. Today is all about risk aversion as fears grow that financial markets completely misread the Fed's scramble to battle inflat

10-01-2022 14:23 GMT by Edward Moya

Market Insights Podcast (Episode 280)

OANDA Senior Market Analyst Craig Erlam previews the week's market news with Jonny Hart. This morning they discussed the markets, week ahead, and earnings season.

10-01-2022 13:19 GMT by Craig Erlam

Oil prices ease, gold trading sideways

Oil eases near highs Oil prices are easing again on Monday after the rally lost steam around the October highs late last week. Supply issues in Kazakhstan and Libya contributed to the latter stage of the rally, with the bulk since late December coming from more promising omicron data that indicates the economic impact of the new variant will be more subdued than feared. While prices may be pulling back, aided perhaps by the broader shift in risk appetite in the markets, the fundamentals remain

10-01-2022 12:39 GMT by Craig Erlam

Sell-off gathers momentum

It was a fairly timid start to the week but the sell-off accelerated around the open on Wall Street, pushing Europe well into negative territory at the end of the day. Omicron relief has been replaced by interest rate angst over the past week and that may take some time to pass. We're seeing data from the US at the moment that appears to show supply issues abating, which should allay temporary inflation pressures, but more permanent pressures - like wages rising - which will concern central ban

10-01-2022 12:33 GMT by Craig Erlam

Aussie steady ahead of retail sales

The Australian dollar is trading quietly at the start of the week. In the North American session, AUD/USD is trading at 0.7172, down 0.14% on the day. US dollar unable to capitalize on soft NFP December job numbers in the US were mixed.

10-01-2022 12:23 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Canadian dollar dips as US dollar recovers

The Canadian dollar has started the week in negative territory. In the North American session, USD/CAD is trading slightly below the 1.27 line.

10-01-2022 11:01 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Euro edges lower at start of week

The euro is in negative territory at the start of the new trading week. EUR/USD is trading around 1.1320 in the European session. Investment confidence up, unemployment down The week kicked off with positive European events, although the euro was unable to gain any ground.

10-01-2022 07:42 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Oil and gold directionless

Oil ignores US jobs data Oil prices were almost unchanged on Friday, with Brent crude and WTI maintaining their gains even as headline US jobs data came in soft. Brent crude edged 0.20% lower to USD 81.80, and WTI fell 1.0% to USD 78.85 a barrel.

10-01-2022 05:23 GMT by Jeffrey Halley

The US dollar retreats

US dollar dips after weak nonfarm payrolls Perhaps the most surprising move post the US Non-Farm Payrolls, came from the US dollar, which staged a sharp retreat versus major currencies, even as US yields rose. The dollar index slumped 0.52% to 95.74, before recovering to 95.90 in Asia today.

10-01-2022 05:15 GMT by Jeffrey Halley

Asian equities diverge

Asian markets look for direction Friday’s US data dump saw the interest rate hawks win the day, thanks to both the participation and unemployment rate tumbling lower. That saw US equities retreat once again, although a soft Non-Farm headline print took the edge of the negativity.

10-01-2022 05:07 GMT by Jeffrey Halley

Asia struggling for conviction

US jobs data a mixed bag The conflicting hodgepodge of US employment data released on Friday night hasn’t given Asia much in the way of themes to hang their hats on today, complicated by a Japanese holiday reducing liquidity. An underlying theme of caution still permeates the region, but it is a very mixed picture in equity markets across the region, while currency markets look like they are stuck in the mud, going nowhere fast. On Friday, the US Non-Farm Payrolls disappointed, adding only 199

10-01-2022 04:39 GMT by Jeffrey Halley

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