Attacks on gas field tip equities into the red

Chris Beauchamp IG

Attacks on Iran's gas fields have kicked off a fresh bout of losses for equities and a move back above $100 for Brent, says Chris Beauchamp, Chief Market Analyst at online trading and investing platform IG.

Energy strikes cause fresh market rout

The tentative recovery in equities so far this week has been dealt a major blow as news of attacks on Iran’s gas infrastructure comes through. The rally had always been precarious given tonight’s Fed decision, but the market really doesn’t like seeing energy infrastructure directly targeted. Anxious traders now wait to see how Iran will respond to this fresh escalation, but with oil prices heading higher again a retest of the recent lows seems to be on the cards.

Dollar boosted in risk off mood

Oil prices are surging again and this afternoon’s developments have pushed investors to the dollar. The US currency remains the only real safe haven, with the yen out of favour thanks to the policy outlook and Japan’s dependence on imported oil. As the conflict grinds on and continues to intensify, the dollar’s strength is here to stay.

Author

Chris Beauchamp

Chris Beauchamp has been with IG for four years, and in that time has become a regular commentator and analyst for the financial press and TV, with appearances on all the major financial channels as well as the BBC and Sky News.

GBP/USD edges lower below 1.3650, with eyes on US PCE data

GBP/USD trades with a negative bias below 1.3650 in the European session on Wednesday, eroding a part of the previous day's strong gains. The pair, however, remains within striking distance of a six-month top, set last Friday, as traders keenly await the release of the US Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index data for a fresh impetus.

EUR/USD holds lower ground near 1.1650 ahead of key US data

EUR/USD is holding lower ground toward 1.1650 in Wednesday's European session. The US Dollar is recovering modestly amid profit-taking and Middle East uncertainty. US inflation, tracked by the PCE, and another revision of Q2 GDP data should keep investors entertained on Wednesday.

Gold remains depressed below $4,650 on firmer USD; looks to US PCE for Fed rate outlook

Gold sticks to modest losses below $4,650 heading into the European session, though it lacks bearish conviction and remains confined within the previous day's broader range. The US Dollar regains positive traction amid some repositioning ahead of the US Personal Consumption Expenditures Price Index and is seen as weighing on the commodity. Adding to this, Federal Reserve Chair Kevin Warsh's remarks at the Jackson Hole Symposium on Friday might offer more cues about the interest rate path.

Hyperliquid eyes record high on rising revenue, ETF inflows

Hyperliquid (HYPE) is up 4% with bulls aiming to advance last week’s 43% gains to a fresh record high above $83.30. The “Everything Exchange” is gaining institutional and user demand, with Exchange Traded Funds recording daily inflows of over $5 million in each of the last two days, while printing daily revenue of over $2.75 million over the last seven days.

US core PCE inflation set to keep pressure on the Federal Reserve to hike interest rates

The United States Bureau of Economic Analysis is expected to publish the Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) Price Index data for July on Wednesday, at 12:30 GMT. PCE inflation data for July is expected to reveal that price pressures remain high, well above the Fed’s 2% target.

Canada hits US goods with tariffs; The rate market sees a problem

On September 8, Canada begins charging its own importers 15%, 25% and 50% on roughly 700 lines of American goods. The measure is billed as dollar for dollar, and on the arithmetic of covered trade it is. What it is not is a tax on the United States.