Tillerson sacking pushes stock markets lower, USD follows

U.S. stock index futures trimmed early gains on Tuesday after U.S. President Donald Trump ousted Secretary of State Rex Tillerson.

“Mike Pompeo, Director of the CIA, will become our new Secretary of State. He will do a fantastic job! Thank you to Rex Tillerson for his service!” has twitted President of USA sending markets down. Stock markets move lower after Tillerson sacking but there is also a US inflation figures for February that definitely play a role.

In currencies, the dollar index, a measure of the greenback against a basket of peers, reversed course into negative territory after President Trump’s announcement. The yen pared losses to stand 0.5% lower at ¥106.90 per dollar and the pound was up 0.3% at $1.3949. The euro was 0.3% firmer at $1.2365.

US inflation figures for February rise 0.2% as expected before. While investors may have been whipsawed by January’s employment situation report, which showed a surprise jump in wage inflation, that is not translating into consumer price inflation. A 2.2% year-on-year rise, up from 2.1% in January, was also as forecast. The US Federal Reserve targets a 2% inflation rate and policymakers next meet on March 20 when they are expected to lift interest rates.

Stock exchanges: European bourses shift lower and gains for US futures trimmed. Frankfurt’s Dax index has edged down 0.2%, London’s FTSE 100 is off 0.4%, the pan-European Euro Stoxx 600 is down 0.2%

Brent trading under $65 a barrel. Oil prices dipped after falling in the previous session on concerns that growing US shale output could undermine efforts by Opec and its allies to cut production. US marker West Texas Intermediate was down 0.6% at $60.98 a barrel after retreating 1.1% on Monday. Brent crude slipped 0.3% to $64.76 a barrel after shedding 0.8% in the previous session.

Sources: 

https://www.ft.com/content/1736cba0-2663-11e8-b27e-cc62a39d57a0

https://www.ft.com/content/1736cba0-2663-11e8-b27e-cc62a39d57a0

https://www.investing.com/news/economy-news/top-5-things-to-know-in-the-market-on-tuesday-1338417

https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/stock-futures-edge-higher-ahead-of-inflation-data-1338726

https://www.fxstreet.com/t/news?utm_expid=.kos2fgywQI2pDavx6HhkxQ.1&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fxstreet.com%2Ft%2Fnews

https://www.fxstreet.com/currencies/eurusd?utm_expid=.3P9hKnebQNiWu3C5ouyZdg.0&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fxstreet.com%2Ft%2Fnews

https://www.fxstreet.com/currencies/gbpusd

https://www.fxstreet.com/currencies/usdjpy

https://www.fxstreet.com/currencies/audusd

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-13/trump-says-pompeo-to-replace-tillerson-as-secretary-of-state

https://www.bloomberg.com/news/articles/2018-03-13/u-s-inflation-firmed-in-february-without-outsize-acceleration

European markets expect the US inflation data

Markets are halted in the expectations of U.S. inflation data later in the day which could offer clues on the pace of interest rate rises this year. Most experts await core CPI to have slowed but remain solid at 0.2% month-on-month in February, following a 0.5% rise in January.

Stock Exchanges update: Frankfurt’s Dax index has edged up 0.02%, London’s FTSE 100 is off 0.07%, the pan-European Euro Stoxx 600 is down 0.08%. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 was Asia Pacific’s worst performer, down 0.4%, breaking a three-day run of gains. China’s CSI 300 index, tracking Shenzhen and Shanghai stocks, was off 0.9% while South Korea’s Kospi gained 0.4%. On Wall Street, gains for US technology stocks pushed the Nasdaq Composite 0.4% higher while the S&P 500 ended 0.1% lower and the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 0.6%.

Currencies update: the dollar index strengthened 0.2% to 90.067. The yen weakened 0.5% to ¥106.93 per dollar and the pound was 0.1% weaker at $1.3891. The euro was 0.1% off at $1.2317.

Commodities: Oil prices dipped after falling in the previous session on concerns that growing US shale output could undermine efforts by Opec and its allies to cut production. US marker West Texas Intermediate was down 0.2 per cent at $61.24 a barrel after retreating 1.1 per cent on Monday. Brent crude slipped 0.2 per cent to $64.84 a barrel after shedding 0.8 per cent in the previous session

Sources: 

https://www.fxstreet.com/currencies/eurusd?utm_expid=.3P9hKnebQNiWu3C5ouyZdg.0&utm_referrer=https%3A%2F%2Fwww.fxstreet.com%2Ft%2Fnews

https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/asia-stocks-edge-up-on-tech-shares-us-inflation-data-awaited-1338024

https://www.ft.com/content/1736cba0-2663-11e8-b27e-cc62a39d57a0

Global Stocks begin current week on a strong foot

Global stock markets started a week in bullish mode, surging to a two-week high on Monday after strong U.S. jobs data at the end of last week helped take the edge off investors’ concerns about the potential outbreak of trade war between the United States and other major economies. Germany’s DAX led gains in Europe, rising 0.9%, and MSCI’s world equity index, which tracks shares in 47 countries, hit a two-week high. MSCI’s index of Asia-Pacific shares outside Japan climbed 1.3%, poised for a third session of gains. Japan’s Nikkei gained 1.4% and the Shanghai Composite and the Shenzhen Component traded 0.3% and 0.8% higher respectively.

On Wall Street, U.S. stock futures pushed higher, an indication that equities may be ready to pick up where they left off late last week.

Dow futures were up 90 points, or 0.3%, from their Friday close, while S&P 500 futures gained 9 points, or 0.3%, and Nasdaq 100 futures tacked on 41 points, or roughly 0.6%.

Sources: 

https://www.ft.com/content/259aa50e-208c-11e8-9efc-0cd3483b8b80

https://www.investing.com/news/economy-news/top-5-things-to-know-in-the-market-on-monday-1336201

https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/asia-shares-rally-as-us-job-data-revive-risk-appetite-1335913

https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/asian-equities-rally-as-us-payrolls-lift-markets-1335948

https://www.fxstreet.com/news/us-prospects-of-a-trade-war-have-increased-bbh-201803121242

This week ahead: top news to watch this week (March 12 – 16)

Fellow traders, let us have a look at upcoming week in terms of important economic news.

Below you can find short table of major economic news during this week:

Monday: The market moving events on Monday can be considered as follows: Eurogroup Meeting + RBNZ Governor Grant Spencer speech impacting EUR and NZD respectively. China’s Foreign Direct Investment is due. Greek industrial production is set to rise 0.2% m/m in January. Portuguese CPI is expected to rise 1.0% y/y in February. The US monthly budget statement is set to reveal a deficit of $-222.6 billion in February. NZ Food price index is expected to rise 1.2% m/m in February.

Tuesday: USD Inflation Data: The Commerce Department will publish February inflation figures. The Commerce Department will publish February inflation figures at 8:30AM ET (1230GMT) Tuesday. Market analysts expect consumer prices to rise 0.2%, weakening from January’s 0.5% increase, while core inflation is forecast to inch up 0.2%, a touch slower than a month earlier, when core CPI recorded a 0.3% gain.

Wednesday: USD Retail Sales: The Commerce Department will publish data on retail sales for February. The consensus forecast is that the report will show retail sales rose 0.3% last month, snapping back after a decline of 0.3% in January. Core sales are forecast to inch up 0.3%, after holding flat a month earlier.

Thursday: SNB Policy Assessment: The Swiss National Bank’s quarterly monetary policy assessment. Most economists forecast the central bank’s benchmark interest rate to remain unchanged at -0.75%. The SNB is also expected to stick to its commitment to foreign currency interventions if necessary.

Friday: Euro Zone CPI: The euro zone will publish final inflation figures for February. The report is expected to confirm that consumer prices rose 1.2%, 0.1% slower than in the previous month. Perhaps more significantly, the core figure, without volatile energy and food prices, is seen holding steady at 1.0%, unchanged from a month earlier.

Final inflation figures for Germany, France, Spain and Italy are also due this week

Sources: 

https://www.fxstreet.com/analysis/european-fx-outlook-markets-seen-digesting-the-nfp-report-on-data-light-monday-201803120656

https://www.fxstreet.com/economic-calendar

https://www.investing.com/news/economy-news/economic-calendar–top-5-things-to-watch-this-week-1335604

https://www.investing.com/economic-calendar/

https://www.ft.com/markets

 

Oil and global stocks fall amid Trump`s administration turmoil

The oil price fall followed weakness in global financial markets after the resignation of Gary Cohn, economic adviser to U.S. President Donald Trump, seen as a bulwark against protectionist forces in the government. Obviously, the worst outcome for financial markets, in terms of potential to create volatility, would be a confirmation of rising trade friction and benign neglect of the dollar in the short term.

The result of Trump`s games within administration is clear though – with the announcement that Cohn was resigning, the S&P futures market dropped and oil went with it down further.

Brent Oil futures slipped 32 cents to $64.47 a barrel by 1232 GMT, while U.S. crude futures fell 33 cents to $62.27, although both contracts had eased off their lows in line with a recovery in S&P futures. Copper on the London Metal Exchange lost 1.2%, paring a 1.4% gain from the previous session.

The dollar was off 0.4% against the yen to ¥105.76. Bond markets also benefited with the yield on the benchmark 10-year Treasury slipping, in a further sign of investors seeking safe assets.

The Dow was down 300 points at the open. MSCI’s world equity index, which tracks shares in 47 countries, was down 0.2%, having seen some strength in Asian trading following news that South and North Korea would hold their first summit in more than a decade.

Sources: 

https://www.fxstreet.com/news

https://www.ft.com/content/7a5f7236-1d94-11e8-aaca-4574d7dabfb6

https://www.ft.com/content/3bbf66ac-21d7-11e8-add1-0e8958b189ea

https://www.ft.com/content/71629a08-215b-11e8-a895-1ba1f72c2c11

https://www.ft.com/content/a5075e36-219a-11e8-a895-1ba1f72c2c11

https://www.investing.com/news/commodities-news/oil-prices-fall-as-cohn-departure-raises-trade-war-fears-1328505

https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/global-stocks-fall-as-key-trump-advisers-departure-heightens-trade-war-fears-1328403

 

Cohn desicion to resign as Trump’s Top Economic Advisor sends markets down in hours

Gary Cohn, Donald Trump’s top economic adviser, has resigned after losing a heated White House battle over tariffs, dealing a big blow to Washington Republicans and business leaders seeking to prevent the president from igniting a global trade war.

Stock prices and the dollar remained lower as markets considered the implications, with the S&P 500 off 1.2% in after-hours trading in New York. Bond prices also strengthened, a signal of demand for safe assets, while equities also fell in Asia and Europe.

Cohn comes from Wall street and certainly large institutional investors felt he was very credible in his spot, but after the fierce fight withing White House economy team regarding aluminium and steel tarrifs issue, the first loss has been on the side of moderates. He was a main driver of a sweeping tax overhaul passed by Congress in December and signed into law by Trump as well.

Asian shares ended broadly lower, with losses in the region led by Japan’s benchmark Nikkei, which ended down about 0.8%.

In Europe, nearly all the continent’s major bourses traded in negative territory, with the pan-European Stoxx 600 index, the region’s broadest measure of share prices, falling around 0.5%, with most sectors in the red.

On Wall Street, U.S. stock futures pointed to a sharply lower open. Dow futures were down 320 points, or 1.3%, from their Tuesday close, while S&P 500 futures S&P 500 lost 28 points, or 1%, and Nasdaq 100 futures declined 66 points, or roughly 1%.

Sources: 

https://www.ft.com/content/56e349a2-2192-11e8-a895-1ba1f72c2c11

https://www.fxstreet.com/news/us-cohns-resignation-provides-confirmation-a-weak-usd-trend-is-here-to-stay-ing-201803070922

https://www.investing.com/news/economy-news/top-5-things-to-know-in-the-market-on-wednesday-1328817

https://www.investing.com/news/economy-news/trump-economic-adviser-cohn-quits-after-tariffs-dispute-1328338

https://www.investing.com/news/stock-market-news/global-stocks-fall-as-key-trump-advisers-departure-heightens-trade-war-fears-1328403

https://www.investing.com/news/