XM does not provide services to residents of the United States of America.

crude oil

post-image

Asian Session – Strong yen continues to raise eyebrows in Japan as dollar still in retreat

Posted on April 11, 2016 at 8:00 am GMT

It was a mixed start to the week in Monday’s Asian trading as the strong yen continued to weigh on Tokyo stocks but higher oil prices boosted equities elsewhere. Shares in China’s main indices were up over 1.5%, buoyed by weaker-than-expected inflation figures, which raised expectations of looser monetary policy. Annual CPI in China rose by 2.3% in March, less than the expected rate of 2.5% and the first time in five months that inflation has not accelerated. Producer prices [..]

post-image

Asian Session –Dollar/yen under pressure after Japan PM comments

Posted on April 6, 2016 at 8:03 am GMT

The yen rose sharply on Tuesday as risk aversion set in and comments from the Japanese prime minister added further support to the currency. Speaking to the Wall Street Journal, Prime Minister Shinzo Abe said he was against “arbitrary intervention” of devaluing currencies “whatever the circumstances”. The dollar touched a near 18-month low of 109.94 yen after the comments yesterday but had recovered slightly to 110.35 yen in Wednesday’s Asian session. The euro and the pound were also under pressure [..]

post-image

Quarterly Market Review – Q1 2016

Posted on April 5, 2016 at 2:31 pm GMT

The first three months of 2016 saw the unwelcome return of the turbulence that had marred financial markets in the summer of 2015. Equity indices across the globe saw sharp losses accompanied by high volatility. Major currencies were also exposed to unusual fluctuations as safe-haven currencies were back in demand. It was also a busy quarter for central bank activity, particularly from the European Central Bank and the Bank of Japan. But it was the changing tone of the Fed [..]

post-image

Asian Session – Aussie jumps after RBA keeps rates steady; Dollar/yen at fresh 17-month low

Posted on April 5, 2016 at 8:10 am GMT

The Reserve Bank of Australia kept its cash rate unchanged at 2.0% for the 10th straight policy meeting today as was widely expected. However, the Australian dollar jumped immediately after the announcement as the accompanying statement did not signal another cut anytime soon despite keeping the door open for such a move. RBA Governor Glenn Stevens said in his statement that “there were reasonable prospects for continued growth in the economy” but “an appreciating exchange rate could complicate the adjustment [..]

post-image
post-image

Asian Session – Dollar flat ahead of NFP; China PMI turns positive

Posted on April 1, 2016 at 7:28 am GMT

Business sentiment surveys dominated Asian trading on the first day of April as key manufacturing indicators out of Japan and China were released. In China, the official manufacturing PMI turned positive for the first time in nine months as the index rose from 49.0 in February to 50.2 in March, beating forecasts of 49.3. The surprise reading, which indicates that manufacturing activity expanded slightly last month, may be a sign that the sector is turning the corner. However, analysts cautioned [..]

post-image

European Session – Dollar stabilizes near 2-week lows; European stocks up sharply on Yellen

Posted on March 30, 2016 at 2:42 pm GMT

European equities rose sharply on Wednesday with the major indices up over 1.5% as risk appetite made a strong comeback after Fed Chair Janet Yellen signalled again yesterday that the Fed was in no rush to raise rates. Yellen’s cautious stance contrasted with those of other Fed officials who last week had increased the possibility of a rate rise as early as April. Another Fed official speaking today tried to strike a more balanced tone. Chicago Fed President Charles Evans [..]

post-image

Asian Session – Yellen reiterates caution on rates; dollar slides 1%

Posted on March 30, 2016 at 8:05 am GMT

Fed Chair Janet Yellen yesterday reiterated the need to move cautiously with rate increases, citing the uncertainty in the global economic outlook as a risk to the US economy. Speaking at the Economic Club of New York, Yellen said the Fed wanted to get ahead of the developments in the global economy and adjust its policy path accordingly before they start to impact its forecast for unemployment and inflation. She noted that economic and financial conditions remain less favorable than [..]

post-image

Asian Session – Dollar attempts rebound but yen underperforms again

Posted on March 29, 2016 at 7:54 am GMT

The US dollar rebounded from Monday’s lows to edge higher in Tuesday’s Asian session. The greenback fell sharply yesterday after disappointing US personal consumption expenditure data which pointed to weak GDP growth in the first quarter of the year. However, trading is likely to remain cautious ahead of a key speech by Fed Chair Janet Yellen later today. The dollar climbed to around 113.65 yen in late Asian trading from a low of 113.14 yen on Monday. The Japanese currency [..]

post-image

Asian Session – Fed rate talk lifts dollar as market calm returns

Posted on March 23, 2016 at 9:17 am GMT

The dollar moved higher in Asian trading on Wednesday as risk aversion faded after the initial market reaction to the terror attacks in Brussels on Tuesday that saw a sell-off of risk assets. Stock markets in Asia were muted today as trading winds down ahead of the Western Easter holiday weekend. The greenback climbed against the euro and the pound but was unable to advance beyond yesterday’s rebound versus the yen. The dollar was last trading at 112.37 yen in [..]

Risk Warning: Your capital is at risk. Leveraged products may not be suitable for everyone. Please consider our Risk Disclosure.