Forex Analysis
EUR/USD remains under heavy bearish pressure in the second half of the day on Thursday and trades at its lowest level in three weeks below 1.1370. The ECB's cautious tone on policy tightening in the near future and the broad-based US Dollar (USD) strength on risk-aversion drag the pair lower.
Gold keeps retreating on Thursday, trading well below $4,100 early in the American session. US crude oil prices climb to a fresh six-week high above $90 amid a further escalation of tensions between the US and Iran, fueling inflation fears and bolstering US Fed interest rate hike expectations. Hawkish Fed bets weigh negatively on the yieldless bullion.
GBP/USD extends its intraday slide and closes in on 1.3300 in the American session on Thursday. The pair remains under heavy bearish pressure as the US Dollar (USD) benefits from the risk-averse market atmosphere amid escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East.
Stocks
In-Depth Analysis
The RBNZ raised the Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 25 basis points to 2.50% at 02:00 GMT on Wednesday, its first hike in three years and the moment the bank that cut deeper than any G10 peer last cycle turned to face the other way.
Central banks have spent years telling markets what might come next. Now, traders face the possibility that they say a lot less. From the Fed to the ECB and the BoE, policymakers are pushing back against forward guidance, arguing that the current world demands more flexibility.
