Category Archives: Market Insights
Russia invades Ukraine
Written on February 28, 2022 at 4:30 pm, by lishitong
On Thursday, 24 February, Russian forces entered neighbouring Ukraine, sparking what some are calling the largest conflict in Europe since World War 2. Land, sea, and air forces have been sent into Ukrainian space, with the country’s foreign minister saying that the country’s capital, Kyiv, has been hit by Russian rocket strikes. While the USContinue Reading
Gold Surges as Geopolitical Tension in Eastern Europe Rises to New Heights
Written on February 24, 2022 at 6:57 am, by lishitong
Rising geopolitical tensions between Russia and the West, combined with the effects of booming worldwide inflation, has caused the price of gold to soar. The precious metal is trading at its highest prices in over a year as investors seek the safe-haven asset in response to Putin’s increasing belligerent stance against Ukraine; and the resultingContinue Reading
Russian Invasion of Ukraine Imminent
Written on February 21, 2022 at 6:36 am, by lishitong
Months of geopolitical tension between Russia and Ukraine have mounted to a pitch as governments around the world begin taking action. The US relocated its embassy in the Ukrainian capital of Kyiv to the western city of Lviv in response to the “dramatic acceleration” of buildup in Russian forces on Ukraine’s border. In addition, UKContinue Reading
Unexpected Fed Dovishness Causes USD Drop and Gold Rise
Written on February 17, 2022 at 6:53 am, by lishitong
On Wednesday evening (GMT+2), the US Federal Reserve released its meeting minutes, revealing its plans for interest rate hikes, as well as a “significant reduction” in asset holdings in response to spreading inflation. However, while its outward tone might seem hawkish, the details of the minutes lacked bite without any clear signals indicating more aggressiveContinue Reading
Chances of 50-point Rate Hike Increases as US CPI Hits 40-year High
Written on February 11, 2022 at 6:50 am, by lishitong
On Thursday (GMT+2), the US released its Consumer Price Index data (CPI) for January. Results showed that inflation, as measured by the CPI, increased by 7.5% year-on-year, beating out the forecasted 7.3% and posting the highest gain since 1982. The results also mark an increase of 0.6% from December, continuing the fourth straight month ofContinue Reading
Gold rises as US ADP Nonfarm Employment massively underperforms
Written on February 3, 2022 at 6:42 am, by lishitong
On Wednesday afternoon (GMT +2), the US ADP Nonfarm Employment data was released. The results showed that private U.S. payrolls fell by 301,000 in January 2022, the largest drop since April 2020, and far from the gain of 207,000 estimated by economists polled by Dow Jones. This is the first time in over a yearContinue Reading
Tonight’s EIA Data will Confirm Bullish Sentiment for Crude Oil
Written on January 20, 2022 at 6:35 am, by lishitong
On Wednesday night, January 19 (GMT+2), data released by the American Petroleum Institute (API) showed that U.S. crude oil inventories increased by 1.4 million barrels in the week of 14 January, while gasoline inventories increased by 3.5 million barrels. Meanwhile, distillate fuel stocks fell by 1.2 million barrels. In its latest report, the International EnergyContinue Reading
Fed Expected to Expedite Rate Hikes as US CPI Beats Expectations
Written on January 13, 2022 at 6:32 am, by lishitong
On January 12 (Wednesday) afternoon (GMT+2), the United States announced its year-on-year, not seasonally-adjusted Consumer Price Index (CPI) for December. US CPI rose 7% in 2021, the largest 12-month gain since 1982, according to data released by the Labor Department. CPI rose 0.5% month-on-month in December, slightly beating the market expectations of 0.4%. The strongContinue Reading
ADP Employment Data Far Exceeds Expectations
Written on January 4, 2022 at 1:53 am, by lishitong
On January 5 (Wednesday), the United States announced the December ADP employment data. According to the ADP private payroll numbers for December, 807,000 jobs were added compared to estimates of a figure of 410,000 and the previous value of 534,000, the largest increase since May 2021. The minutes from the Fed’s December FOMC meeting on Wednesday showed theContinue Reading
