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...
Federal Reserve (Fed Bank of New York President John C. Williams hit the newswires on Monday, expressing his general cautiousness toward further interest rate cuts but acknowledging that current Fed rate policy is tilted more toward the restrictive side at a time when the clear risk to underlying economic data appears to be heavier toward labor market weakness. Monetary policy continues to be restrictive, we're still in a position to put downward pressure on inflation.We still have a ways to go to get to 2% inflation goal.The Fed has a balancing act, underlying inflation moderating.The Fed...
Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said the outlook for the labor market and inflation faces risks, reiterating his view that policymakers will likely face a difficult road as they consider further interest rate cuts. "Near-term risks to inflation are tilted to the upside and risks to employment are tilted to the downside—a challenging situation," Powell said Tuesday in prepared remarks for an event at the Greater Providence Chamber of Commerce in Rhode Island. "These two-sided risks mean there's no risk-free path." Powell offered no indication whether he would support a rate cut at...
The Federal Reserve's interest rate decision last week was not as "dovish" as it first seemed, analysts at Barclays have argued. Along with a 25-basis point reduction to the Fed's target range for rates to 4% to 4.25%, the meeting included fresh projections which showed that officials are anticipating another half percentage point in rate cuts to help stem a downturn in the labor market. However, seven of the 19 estimates provided by policymakers in their closely-watched "dot plot" of forecasts saw fewer reductions this year, with one even calling for rates to have stayed at their prior...
Federal Reserve Governor Stephen Miran said interest rates are too high and proposed aggressive cuts in the coming months to protect the labor market. In his first policy speech since being sworn in as governor last week, Miran outlined the reasons why the neutral interest rate—where the policy rate neither stimulates nor burdens the economy—has fallen. That rate, which was likely overestimated in the past, has also been lowered recently by tariffs, immigration restrictions, and tax policy, Miran said. This means interest rates should be much lower to prevent economic damage, he...
The Federal Reserve's interest rate cut last week was not as dovish as some market participants seem to have expected, according to analysts at Yardeni Research. But in a note to clients, the analysts said that "relatively muted" gains in stocks after the Fed's decision was an indication that the move had already been priced in by markets. The Fed lowered its benchmark federal funds rate by 25 basis points to a target range of 4.00% to 4.25% last Wednesday, delivering its first rate reduction since December. Updated projections released after the meeting showed a majority of policymakers...
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...