The window dressing phenomenon is expected to again influence financial market movements throughout 2025, especially as each quarter approaches its close. This strategy is generally employed by investment managers to enhance portfolio performance in periodic reports, often encouraging the strengthening of risky assets such as stocks. However, this shift in sentiment also has different implications for hedge funds, particularly gold. Quarter One (Q1): Limited Pressure for Gold At the end of March 2025, Q1 window dressing tended to be moderate. Funds began flowing into blue-chip stocks after...
National Economic Council Director Kevin Hassett stated that the Federal Reserve should cut interest rates at its upcoming meeting next week and predicted a reduction of 25 basis points. In an interview on Fox News, Hassett was asked if he believed the Federal Open Market Committee would cut rates. "I think we should, and I think that we are likely to," Hassett said, referencing recent communications from Fed governors and regional presidents. "They now seem much more like they're leaning in the direction of a rate cut." His comments come as speculation grows about President Donald Trump's...
The Federal Reserve is expected to reduce interest rates by 25 basis points to a range of 3.5%-3.75% at next week's meeting, but Bank of America says Chair Jerome Powell faces the most divided committee in years. "We expect him to try to deliver a hawkish cut as a compromise," BofA strategists led by Mark Cabana said in a Thursday note. "We're skeptical about whether he will be able to pull this off. But for now, markets are giving him the benefit of the doubt," they added. Markets are still pricing only modest easing beyond December, expecting just 8 basis points of potential cuts in...
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Wednesday he will push for a new rule requiring regional Federal Reserve chairpersons to live in their district for at least three years. The initiative is Bessent's latest push for a major overhaul of the US central bank—which he has repeatedly accused of mission drift and straying from its primary mandate of setting monetary policy. "I believe there is a disconnect now from the original framework" of the Fed, Bessent said during a discussion at a New York Times event. The US central bank, founded more than a century ago, established a board of...
Inflation in the United States continues to show signs of moderation. The latest data shows CPI inflation hovering around 3% annually, while PCE inflation the Federal Reserve's favorite indicator is hovering around 2.1–2.6%. This decline in inflation signals that price pressures in the US are beginning to ease after a period of high price increases post-pandemic. This directly impacts market expectations regarding the Fed's interest rate policy, as stable inflation opens the door to further monetary policy easing in the near future. However, the Fed remains cautious as core inflation remains...
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell appeared at Stanford's Hoover Institution as part of the George P. Shultz Memorial Lecture Series: Shultz and Economic Policy. Instead of discussing inflation, interest rates, or the direction of monetary policy, Powell focused on paying tribute to the late George Shultz, one of the key figures behind US economic policy and diplomacy in the 20th century. In his remarks, Powell highlighted Shultz's career, which included serving as Secretary of State, Secretary of the Treasury, Secretary of Labor, and Director of the Budget. He emphasized Shultz's...
Asian stock markets fell in unison on Thursday, following Wall Street's decline. A brief rally in tech stocks led by Nvidia quickly faded, prompting investors to turn away from riskier assets like...
Pasangan mata uang EUR/USD mengawali pekan ini dengan nada sedikit melemah di sesi Asia, diperdagangkan di sekitar 1,1730, turun kurang dari 0,10% dalam sehari. Meski terkoreksi, euro masih berada...
US President Donald Trump said on Monday that the United States may store and possibly sell oil seized off the coast of Venezuela in recent weeks, as Reuters reported on Monday.
Trump added that...