- Asian stocks came under pressure today, as worse-than-expected CPI data from the US implies a later start to the rate cut cycle. Australia's ASX 200 is currently losing 0.35%, the Hang Seng is off 0.54% and Japan's Nikkei is down 0.3%.
- Wall Street closed yesterday's session sharply below Tuesday's closing levels. The S&P500 lost 0.95%, the Nasdaq was down 0.84% and the Russell 2000 shed nearly 2.78%.
- The smaller-cap Russell 2000 index, on a wave of yesterday's declines, closed the intraday session below the psychological level of 2050 points.
- Federal Reserve officials will speak on Thursday: Williams, Barkin, Collins, Bostic.
- BoE's Greene says persistent inflation is a bigger threat in the UK than in the US.
- Morgan Stanley and Goldman Sachs have raised their forecasts for economic growth in China. They now stand at: 4,8% i 5,0%. Previously, they were 4.2% and 4.8%, respectively.
- The countervailing element to the raised GDP forecasts, however, came today with CPI data. China's March y/y reading came in below analysts' expectations at 0.1%. An increase of 0.4% y/y was expected.
- A well-known media insider on Federal Reserve issues, Nick Timiraos said that yesterday's inflation report makes the Fed's rate cuts now a question of whether to implement them, not just when to do so.
- Australian consumer inflation expectations rose to 4.6% (from 4.3%) in April.
- Japan's Minister Kanda says he is prepared to take the necessary steps in the wake of the yen's sharp decline. Concerns are growing about making interventions in the FX market.
- US SEC to target another cryptocurrency platform, Uniswap Labs amid potential enforcement action. The cryptocurrency is currently losing more than 5%.
The USDJPY pair rocketed to new local peaks after yesterday's US CPI report. Source: xStation
