Happy Fed Day to all who observe. With hours to go before the world’s most powerful central bank delivers its first post-pandemic rate cut, investors still have no clarity on how big it will be. The dollar is flat, Treasury yields are little changed, and North American equity indices are setting up for modestly-stronger open, as market participants cut risk into what could be characterised as the most...

US retail spending climbed last month, suggesting that underlying consumer demand continues to play a supportive role in powering growth – but gains were somewhat mixed below the headline level, suggesting that Federal Reserve officials are likely to downplay its accuracy in depicting underlying fundamentals ahead of tomorrow’s decision. According to figures published by the Census Bureau this...

Markets are caught in an uneasy equilibrium as the Federal Reserve begins its two-day meeting. The dollar is changing hands at its weakest levels since January, the Japanese yen is retreating from yesterday’s high, both the euro and pound are consolidating their gains, and emerging market currencies are broadly on the defensive as traders cut risk into tomorrow’s decision. The scale of tomorrow’s...

Financial markets are calm and there are no signs of a resurgence in the ‘Trump trade’ after Secret Service agents fired on a gunman at the former president’s Florida golf course. Prediction markets are still showing Kamala Harris holding a slight lead in the race to become the next US president, and assets that might benefit from a policy mix defined by tighter immigration, looser regulations, greater...