US: Philadelphia Fed Manufacturing Index falls to 16.0 in February vs. 20.0 expected

Joel Frank Independent Analyst

According to a report from the Federal Reserve Bank of Philadelphia released on Thursday, the headline Manufacturing Activity Index of the Manufacturing Business Outlook Survey fell to 16.0 in February from 23.2 in January, bigger than the expected decline to 20.0.

Subindices:

Employment Index rose to 32.3 from 26.1 in January.
Prices Paid Index fell to 69.3 from 72.5.
New Orders Index fell to 14.2 from 17.9.
6-month Expectations Index fell to 28.1 from 28.7.
Capital Expenditures Index fell to 21.5 from 26.2.

Market Reaction

FX markets seem far more focused on geopolitics right now and, thus, there has not been a notable reaction to the latest data.

Author

Joel Frank

Independent Analyst

Joel Frank is an economics graduate from the University of Birmingham and has worked as a full-time financial market analyst since 2018, specialising in the coverage of how developments in the global economy impact financial asset

EUR/USD looks to stabilize near 1.1600 as focus shifts to US data

EUR/USD is looking to stabilize near 1.1600 in the European session on Wednesday as traders breathe a sigh of relief before the top-tier US ADP jobs and ISM Services PMI data. A pause in the US Dollar uptrend helps the pair's recovery, but surging energy prices due to the Iran war will likely remain a drag.

GBP/USD stays weak near 1.3350 as USD preserves gains

GBP/USD stays in the red below 1.3350 in the European session on Wednesday. Escalating conflict in the Middle East keeps the "flight to safety" theme intact, supporting the US Dollar against the Pound Sterling. Traders will take more cues from the US ADP Employment and ISM Services Purchasing Managers Index reports, which are due later on Wednesday.

Gold retains positive bias amid sustained safe-haven flows and modest USD pullback

Gold maintains its offered tone through the first half of the European session, though it lacks follow-through and remains below the $5,200 mark. Investors remain concerned about a prolonged conflict in the Middle East and its impact on the global economy amid an already uncertain environment.

Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple struggle for direction as consolidation persists

Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple prices trade with a cautious tone at the time of writing on Wednesday as upside momentum continues to fade across the broader crypto market. BTC remains within a parallel channel, ETH struggles below key resistance, while XRP remains fragile within a descending channel. These top three cryptocurrencies by market capitalization continue to struggle to establish a directional bias amid the consolidation phase.

Asian stocks fall as South Korea’s KOSPI slumps over 10%

Asian equities drop on Middle East tensions; the MSCI Asia Pacific Index falls up to 4%. South Korea’s KOSPI fell 10.71% near 5,170, with the Korean Won weakened past 1,500 per dollar.

Solana Price Forecast: SOL consolidation near resistance as ETF inflows offer mild support

Solana price is facing slight rejection as it approaches the upper boundary of the consolidation range at around $88 on Wednesday. Institutional demand is strengthening as spot Exchange Traded Funds recorded two consecutive inflows so far this week.