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Markets count down to debt ceiling deal

Markets are stuck in a state of suspended animation after President Biden and House Speaker McCarthy emerged from last night’s talks without a deal to raise the US debt ceiling. According to Biden, the two leaders agreed that a “default is off the table,” and McCarthy said “The tone tonight was better than any other time we have had discussions”. McCarthy called the talks “productive” but said “we don’t have an agreement yet,” with both noting that differences over tax changes were lengthening the standoff. An earlier statement from Treasury Secretary Janet Yellen said “we estimate that it is highly likely...

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US debt ceiling still in focus

• US debt ceiling. Talks are set to restart today. A deal is needed to be agreed quickly given the ‘x-date’ is fast approaching.• Fed pricing. Markets pricing in a chance of a June Fed hike, but are still looking for ~2-3 cuts by January. An unwind of these bets could be USD positive.• AUD holding. Limited local data flow. Global events will drive the AUD near-term. AUD/NZD sub 1.06. Tomorrow’s RBNZ meeting is in focus. It has been a quiet start to the new week with limited moves across markets as participants await the latest round of US debt...

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Dancing on the US debt ceiling

US debt ceiling shenanigans, a repeated source of market volatility over the past decade or so, are rearing their head once again. After tentative progress was made last week negotiations look to have reached an impasse. Reportedly, the Republicans are continuing to push for sizeable reductions in government spending, particularly in areas such as healthcare, education, and housing, while also maintaining high spending on defense and the Trump-era corporate tax cuts. The two sides have agreed to resume talks with President Biden and House Speaker McCarthy set to meet on Monday, but things clearly remain fluid. The clock is ticking...

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US debt ceiling: two steps forward, 1 step back

• US debt ceiling. Talks hit an impasse. Negotiations set to resume later today. A deal is needed quickly with the ‘x-date’ coming closer into view.• AUD sluggish. Global forces will continue to drive the AUD. Beyond the debt ceiling, the global economy is slowing. This is normally a headwind for the AUD.• RBNZ hike. AUD/NZD has slipped below 1.06. RBNZ meets on Wednesday. Following the NZ Budget expectations of another ‘hawkish hike’ have risen. Optimism regarding a US debt ceiling deal faded a bit on Friday, with negotiations reaching an impasse. US equities lost some ground (S&P500 -0.1%), while...

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Australian labour market: cracks in the veneer

It’s a lagging indicator, but cracks are beginning to appear in the Australian labour market. In our view, these cracks should widen over time as the weight of higher mortgage rates, negative consumer and business sentiment, and other cost pressures act to constrain economic activity. While the larger than normal share of households on fixed rate loans diluted the initial rate hike impacts this cycle, the result should ultimately be the same. We expect growth to slow materially over the next few quarters as the substantial cashflow hit on the heavily indebted household sector intensifies. Indeed, there is still a...

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