Daily summary: Fed hikes by 25 bp and signals 'soft pause'

8:01 PM 3 May 2023
  • FOMC delivered a 25 basis point rate hike with Fed funds rate increasing to 5.00-5.25% - the highest level since June 2006 peak

  • New statement omitted phrase that further policy tightening is appropriate and instead said that FOMC will determine extent of needed tightening

  • Fed chair Powell said that Fed will take meeting-by-meeting approach in determining extent of required tightening and warned that Fed is ready that to do more if needed

  • Powell also warned to tighter credit conditions are likely to weigh on economic activity and job market

  • Wall Street indices trade slightly higher today. Indices dipped after FOMC decision but has later recovered during Powell's presser

  • US dollar dropped after FOMC decision with EURUSD moving close to 1.1100 mark. However, greenback recovered later on and now trades in the 1.1050 area - near pre-decision levels

  • Gold jumped to around $2,035 per ounce following FOMC decision but has pulled back to $2,020 area later on

  • WTI dropped below $70 per barrel as demand concerns are exerting pressure on energy commodities' prices

  • European stock market indices traded mostly higher today. UK FTSE 100 gained 0.2%, German DAX added 0.6% and French CAC40 moved 0.3% higher

  • Russia accused Ukraine of attempting to assassinate Russian president Putin after 2 drones were shot down over the Kremlin last night and ruled out any negotiations. Ukraine denied involvement in the incident saying it was Russian false flag operation

  • ADP report showed 296k increase in US employment in April (exp. 150k)

  • US services ISM jumped from 51.2 to 51.9 in April (exp. 51.8)

  • Official US report showed 1.28 million barrel drop in oil inventories (exp. -0.9 mb), a 1.74 mb build in gasoline inventories (exp. -0.5 mb)

  • New Zealand employment increased 0.8% QoQ in Q1 2023 (exp. 0.4% QoQ) while the unemployment rate stayed unchanged at 3.4% (exp. 3.5%). 

  • Australian retail sales increased 0.4% MoM in March (exp. 0.3% MoM)

  • Russia's Novak said that OPEC+ monitors oil price drop but it may turn out to be temporary

  • AMD dropped over 8% as company reported slightly better than expected results but delivered a lackluster sales guidance for Q2 2023

EURUSD experienced a strong move higher after FOMC rate announcement. However, majority of those gains has been erased since and now the main currency pair is trading close to pre-announcement levels in the 1.1050 area. Source: xStation5

Share:
Back

Join over 1 600 000 XTB Group Clients from around the world

The financial instruments we offer, especially CFDs, can be highly risky. Fractional Shares (FS) is an acquired from XTB fiduciary right to fractional parts of stocks and ETFs. FS are not a separate financial instrument. The limited corporate rights are associated with FS.
This page was not created for investors residing in Brazil. This brokerage is not authorized by the Comissão de Valores Mobiliários (CVM) or the Brazilian Central Bank (BCB). The content of this page should not be characterized as an investment offer in Brazil or for investors residing in that country.
Losses can exceed deposits