Daily Digest:
28 March 2024: US stock averages soared back higher with a broadening rally, back to record levels again Wednesday

Growth and inflation worries extend “risk off” moves

Intermediate

Macroeconomic/ geopolitical developments

  • Ongoing growth and inflation concerns have left global financial markets in “risk off” mode, and still vulnerable to further erratic, “risk off” moves.
risk off
  • Growth concerns have been sparked by three main factors:
    • ongoing supply chain worries fuelling inflation fears
    • Inflation worries putting the spotlight on Central Banks and in particular the Fed and the possible removal of the super easy monetary policy
    • The ongoing global spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant (and worries about new variants, with the Mu variant being closely monitored)
  • Given inflation concerns are high, the lower-than-expected US CPI data last week (4.0% with consensus around 4.2%), did little to calm market worries.
  • Inflation in the UK leapt to 3.2% in August, its highest level in over nine years.
  • Philip Lane, the European Central Bank (ECB) Chief Economist was reported as saying he expects the ECB 2% inflation target to be hit by 2025, meaning that Eurozone interest rates could be on the rise by 2023.

Global financial market developments

  • Global shares indices saw deeper setbacks from recovery/ record peaks, with European indices again leading global averages lower.
dax
  • The US Dollar once again rallied in the “risk off” environment
dxy

Key this week

  • Geopolitics:
    • Still monitoring the impact of the global spread of the COVID-19 Delta variant and watching for developments with the Mu variant.
    • Checking for possible new national lockdown restrictions or for further global lockdown easings.
  • Central Bank Watch:  Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Meeting Minutes are released on Tuesday, we get both the Bank of Japan (BoJ) and US Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) interest rate decisions, statements and press conferences on Wednesday and the same from the Bank of England (BoE) on Thursday.
  • Macroeconomic data: The data standouts this week are the global Markit Manufacturing and Services Flash PMIs released on Thursday.
DateKey Macroeconomic Events
20/09/21Nothing of note
21/09/21RBA Meeting Minutes
22/09/21BoJ and US FOMC interest rate decisions, statements and press conferences
23/09/21Global Markit Manufacturing and Services Flash PMI; BoE interest rate decision, statement and press conference; Canadian Retail Sales
24/10/21Japan CPI; German IFO Business Climate

Editor in chief

Steve Miley is the Market Chartist and has 32 years of financial market experience and as a seasoned expert now has many responsibilities. He is the founder, Director and Primary Analyst at The Mar... Continued

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