- Stock indexes recovered a lot of losses from the first part of the session, despite the hawkish tone of the minutes. Most members want a moderate approach in future decisions, pointing to a sizable risk of a rebound in inflation
- Fed members' expectations indicate that economic growth may slow down, but the labour market situation will remain solid, and inflation will probably remain on track to reach the 2% target
- At the same time, the FOMC minutes read focused partially on the uncertain political situation; Fed members signalled that it will be appropriate to hold off on decisions for a while to observe how the economy reacts to events related to customs policy and immigration
- The ADP report showed an increase in employment of 122,000, less than the 140,000 expected and less than the 146,000 in the previous reading. We saw a slight weakening of the dollar after the report, but the EURUSD still held near the 1.0300 level
- Unemployment claims fell to just 201k with expectations of an increase to 217k from 211k. The report shows a still very strong labor market. Yields on 10-year U.S. bonds settled around 4.7% today,
- The DOE report showed a decline in inventories of less than 1 million brk, with an expected decline of 2 million brk. Gasoline and distillate inventories both rose by more than 6 million brk. Crude oil is losing more than 1% on the day, having previously set multi-month highs.
- WTI crude tested the $75 level, and is now approaching $73 per barrel. The declines were also unleashed by comments from U.S. Secretary of State Blinken, who conveyed that a final Middle East peace agreement is achievable and that talks are moving in the right direction
- The gas inventory report was released a day early due to a day off on Thursday in the US. The report showed a drop in inventories of 40 bcf, with an expected drop of 39 bcf. The previous decline was 116 bcf.
- Gas gained more than 4% today due to gas consumption above average levels and low production, triggered by very cold temperatures
- The day off in the US on Thursday is due to the funeral ceremonies of former President Jimmy Carter
- Factory orders from Germany fell 5.4% mm on expectations of no change and a previous decline of 1.5%.
- German retail sales fell 0.6% m/m on expectations of a 0.5% m/m increase
- Comments by Nvidia CEO Jensen Huang indicated that quantum computers will come to market in a horizon of about 20 years, prompting a sell-off in shares of quantum computing companies. Shares of IONQ and Rigetti Computing are losing more than 40%.
- Meta Platforms (META.US) announced today that it will begin testing a feature in Germany, France and the United States that will allow Facebook Marketplace users to view listings from eBay (EBAY.US) and transact on the e-commerce site. eBay shares rise more than 9%
Chart of the day 📈Bitcoin rebounds above $76k trying to reverse the trend (21.04.2026)
Economic calendar: German ZEW and US retail sales in macro focus 🔎
GBPUSD slightly up after stronger than expected UK labour market data
Morning wrap: Wall Street gains amid hopes of renewed US–Iran talks🗽
The material on this page does not constitute as financial advice and does not take into account your level of understanding, investment objectives, financial situation or any other particular needs.
All the information provided, including opinions, market research, mathematical results and technical analyses published on the website or transmitted to you by other means is provided for information purposes only and should in no event be interpreted as an offer of, or solicitation for, a transaction in any financial instrument, nor should the information provided be construed as advice of legal or fiscal nature.
Any investment decisions you make shall be based exclusively on your level of understanding, investment objectives, financial situation or any other particular needs. Any decision to act on information published on the website or transmitted to you by other means is entirely at your own risk. You are solely responsible for such decisions.
If you are in doubt or are not sure that you understand a particular product, instrument, service, or transaction, you should seek professional or legal advice before trading.
Investing in OTC Derivatives carries a high degree of risk, as they are leveraged based products and often small movements in the market could lead to much larger movements in the value of your investment and this could work against you or for you. Please ensure that you fully understand the risks involved, taking into account your investments objectives and level of experience, before trading, and if necessary, seek independent advice.
