USD under pressure, Yields slightly higher buoyed by investor sentiment which also boosted Stocks after they sagged through US session. (Reuters) – China’s exports & imports dropping for January-February pointed to continued weakness in demand for the country’s products & foreign demand, backing government concerns that a global slowdown will be felt at home. RBA raised rates to 3.60% from 3.35% the highest in more than a decade but suggested it might be nearly done tightening as consumer spending was slowing and there was less risk of a wages-driven inflation blow-out. The bid fell out of the markets as trading turned more cautious post weak trade data which weighed on Chinese stocks and ahead of Fed Chair Powell’s Testimony.
- Futures traders are pricing in a 76% probability the Fed will raise rates by 25 basis points at its March 21 to 22 meeting and a 24% likelihood of a 50 bp increase.
- USD holds at 10-day low area at 104.12 now. Euro retests 1.07, Sterling jumped to 1.2062 above 20-DMA. Aussie at a more than 2-month low of 0.6690.
- Stocks – JPN225 +0.25% at 28,309 – US500 at 4058, US100 +1% at 12348, US30 +0.12% 33487.META will cut thousands of jobs as soon as this week in a fresh round of layoffs.
- Commodities – USOil – jumped to $80.93. China’s crude oil imports fell 1.3% in the first two months of 2023 from a year earlier, data showed on Tuesday, but analysts pointed to accelerating imports in February as a sign that fuel demand was rebounding after Beijing scrapped COVID-19 controls. Gold – slightly higher at $1850.98.
- Cryptocurrencies – BTC – steady at $22k.
Today – Fed Chair Powell’s Testimony first to the Senate Banking Committee, and then to the House Finance Committee tomorrow. He is expected to reiterate the Fed’s hawkish stance of higher for longer rates.
Biggest FX Mover @ (07:30 GMT) GBPAUD (+0.50%). Rallied to 1.7982. MAs aligned higher, MACD histogram & signal line extend higher, RSI 75 & rising, H1 ATR 0.00271, Daily ATR 0.01426.
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Andria Pichidi
Market Analyst
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