Wall Street Optimism Reflects Positive Momentum in Yesterday's Trading
In the recent trading session, Wall Street exhibited a positive sentiment, with the S&P 500 reaching new historical highs. The Nasdaq 100 closed 0.49% higher, while the Russell 2000 saw a significant gain of 1.94%. Today, futures contracts for U.S. indices also showed a slight uptick.
Federal Reserve Insights and Market Dynamics
Raphael Bostic, representing the Federal Reserve, indicated the possibility of two interest rate cuts in the U.S. by the second half of 2024. While he emphasized that an immediate rate cut might not be necessary, the yield on 10-year Treasury bonds decreased by an additional two basis points to 3.91% yesterday. Contrarily, Thomas Barkin, the head of the Fed, emphasized the central bank's position in monitoring inflation, anticipating further developments in sustainable demand.
Market Response and Central Bank Perspectives
Austan Goolsbee, president of the Chicago Fed, conveyed that market exuberance led to an overpricing of expected Fed rate cuts for 2024. However, he underscored that diminishing inflation is crucial for any future adjustments in monetary policy.
FedEx Stock Plunge and Market Reaction
FedEx (FDX.US) shares experienced a nearly 10% decline in after-hours trading today. This comes in the wake of disappointing third-quarter results, falling short of expectations in both revenue and earnings per share.
Global Market Overview
In the Asian markets, the Japanese Nikkei dominated with a close to 1.4% increase, while the smaller South Korean KOSPI also performed well, rising by almost 1.8%. The Chinese Hangseng saw a rise of 0.8%, but futures contracts for the Chinese index traded lower today.
The People's Bank of China maintained its annual interest rate unchanged at 3.95%, aligning with expectations.
Photo: Viktoria Alipatova
Currency and Commodity Movement
The EURUSD pair registered a decline of over 0.2%, and U.S. dollar index contracts strengthened by 0.15%. Precious metals such as gold and silver saw marginal increases of around 0.1%, while energy commodities experienced slight declines. Brent and WTI crude oil lost between 0.1% and 0.2%, with NATGAS recording a 0.4% decrease.
Crypto Market Developments
Cryptocurrencies displayed modest strength, with Bitcoin trading near $42,900, potentially eyeing a breakthrough of the psychological resistance at $43,000. Notable gains were observed in cryptocurrencies like Waves and Chilliz, appreciating between 7% and 8%.
Geopolitical Considerations
The United States is contemplating military action in areas controlled by Houthi rebels.
Taiwan's Minister of National Defense reported an incident where a Chinese aircraft, observed by the military, crossed the Taiwan Strait yesterday evening.
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