Did you know that UK grew more than major peers in H1? [Video]

The week kicked off on a positive note on expectation that when Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell speaks at the Jackson Hole meeting on Friday, he will deliver a strong hint that the rate cuts will begin soon in the US. Both the Big Tech and small companies in the US gained with the thought of an approaching rate cut in the US. Even the energy stocks had a good session despite a heavy selloff in crude oil, which was triggered by the news that Israel accepted a ceasefire proposal in Gaza if Gaza says yes.

In individual stock news, AMD announced to buy ZT Systems to increase ‘its capabilities and expertise to optimise solutions at the systems, rack and the data center levels’ to compete with Nvidia. AMD jumped 4.5%. The news didn’t tame appetite for Nvidia, which also rallied more than 4% and closed the session at $130 per share. Even Intel gained yesterday.

Elsewhere, the European Stoxx 600 also opened the ween on a positive note and jumped above the 50 and 100-DMA, and the Japanese Nikkei 225 is better bid today after a moody Monday on a yen rebound. I expect the market mood to remain mainly optimistic into the Jackson Hole meeting with no major data points to hamper optimism. The US dollar remains weak – too weak – into that speech, the EURUSD consolidates gains near 1.1080 before today’s CPI read and Cable tests the 1.30 offers supported by relatively strong fundamentals. Actually, the UK printed the best GDP growth among major economies – including the US – in the first half of the year!