Learn

Crude Oil Rally Loses Steam as Technicals Signal Pullback

Crude Oil Rally Loses Steam as Technicals Signal Pullback (Bloomberg) -- West Texas Intermediate fell about 2% to settle near $81, cooling a rally that had carried crude to the highest closing price since late October.   The pullback comes after prices were pushed into overbought territory and algorithms reached their maximum long positions. With [...] READ MORE

UK Inflation comes out lower. But was this just the warm up?

The big figure of the week is from the Federal Open Markets Committee which is currently meeting to decide US interest rates. We will get the results of that meeting at 6pm (GMT) this evening.   No change is expected, however, the committee will release its latest ‘dot plots’ which are their expectations as to [...] READ MORE

Recent Higher Inflation Numbers Haven’t ‘Really Changed the Overall Story’

Inflation has been running hotter recently, with the first two months of data for this year showing little progress in bringing price growth back to the Federal Reserve’s 2% target.   Fed Chair Jerome Powell said Wednesday that the January and February consumer price index and the January personal consumption expenditures price index were “quite [...] READ MORE

US debt could balloon past the point of no return in 20 years. Here’s what it could mean and 3 assets investors can use to hedge, according to a Wharton professor.

sdominick/ Getty Images Market veterans warn of a credit bubble burst that could impact interest rates and cause inflation. Kent Smetters forecasts a point of no return for the US economy in 20 years due to rising debt. To hedge against an economic downturn, Smetters recommends buying bonds that adjust for inflation.   The US [...] READ MORE

The rising de-dollarization trend is a risk to US stocks, Morgan Stanley wealth CIO says

Broken dollar bill Getty Images De-dollarization trends pose a risk to the US stock market, Morgan Stanley Wealth Management says. Stocks have been fueled by "ample liquidity," with the dollar's momentum at the core of the easy money regime.   Moves to weaken the dollar's hold on global trade and its status as a top [...] READ MORE

Texas Man Charged With Orchestrating Digital Currency Scam That Bilked Investors out of More Than $10 Million

CHICAGO — A Texas man has been indicted in Chicago on federal fraud charges for allegedly orchestrating a digital currency scam that bilked investors out of more than $10 million.   ROBERT DUNLAP, 52, of Houston, Texas, is charged with four counts of mail fraud in an indictment returned in U.S. District Court for the [...] READ MORE

UK inflation falls more than expected, hits lowest in nearly two-and-a-half years

KEY POINTS The Office for National Statistics said the largest downward contributions came from food, restaurants and cafes, while the largest upward pressure came from housing and fuel. “Following a torrid couple of years for U.K. households, this morning’s inflation print is yet further evidence that the outlook for consumers is brightening,” Zara Nokes, global [...] READ MORE

Here’s why high interest rates haven’t caused a US recession

Mortgage rates are a key channel for transmitting monetary policy through to the broader, real economy — but it's not functioning the way it has in the past. Washington, DC CNN — As the Federal Reserve starts its March policy-making meeting on Tuesday, interest rates remain at a 23-year high, yet unemployment is low, stocks [...] READ MORE

Japan raises interest rates for first time in 17 years

Japan has been hoping to see inflation for decades Japan's central bank has raised the cost of borrowing for the first time in 17 years.   The Bank of the Japan (BOJ) increased its key interest rate from -0.1% to a range of 0%-0.1%. It comes as wages have jumped after consumer prices rose.   [...] READ MORE