FTSE 100 edges off latest record

Chris Beauchamp IG

Global stock markets continued their recovery on Tuesday, with US tech stocks making firm gains ahead of Tesla’s earnings tonight, says Chris Beauchamp, Chief Market Analyst at online trading platform IG.

FTSE 100 notches up fresh record

“After yesterday’s strong session the FTSE 100 might have been forgiven for running into some early selling. But the index was able to hit a new peak before succumbing to some profit-taking in the afternoon session, though it remains up on the day overall. BoE chief economist Huw Pill will take the blame for the weakness this afternoon, as he warned investors not to hope for rate cuts too soon, but the medium-term outlook for UK stocks continues to look brighter.”

Dow logs more triple-digit gains ahead of Tesla earnings

“US stocks continue to put last week’s low behind them, making further headway, and the Nasdaq 100 led the way in percentage terms ahead of Tesla’s release tonight. The recent weakness in stocks seems to have cleared some of the froth off the market, trimming sentiment just in time for the all-important round of earnings from Big Tech.”

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Chris Beauchamp

EUR/USD hits two-day highs near 1.1820

EUR/USD picks up pace and reaches two-day tops around 1.1820 at the end of the week. The pair’s move higher comes on the back of renewed weakness in the US Dollar amid growing talk that the Fed could deliver an interest rate cut as early as March. On the docket, the flash US Consumer Sentiment improves to 57.3 in February.

GBP/USD reclaims 1.3600 and above

GBP/USD reverses two straight days of losses, surpassing the key 1.3600 yardstick on Friday. Cable’s rebound comes as the Greenback slips away from two-week highs in response to some profit-taking mood and speculation of Fed rate cuts. In addition, hawkish comments from the BoE’s Pill are also collaborating with the quid’s improvement.

Gold climbs further, focus is back to 45,000

Gold regains upside traction and surpasses the $4,900 mark per troy ounce at the end of the week, shifting its attention to the critical $5,000 region. The move reflects a shift in risk sentiment, driving flows back towards traditional safe haven assets and supporting the yellow metal.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP rebound amid risk-off, $2.6 billion liquidation wave

Bitcoin edges up above $65,000 at the time of writing on Friday, as dust from the recent macro-triggered sell-off settles. The leading altcoin, Ethereum, hovers above $1,900, but resistance at $2,000 caps the upside. Meanwhile, Ripple has recorded the largest intraday jump among the three assets, up over 10% to $1.35.

Three scenarios for Japanese Yen ahead of snap election

The latest polls point to a dominant win for the ruling bloc at the upcoming Japanese snap election. The larger Sanae Takaichi’s mandate, the more investors fear faster implementation of tax cuts and spending plans.

XRP rally extends as modest ETF inflows support recovery

Ripple is accelerating its recovery, trading above $1.36 at the time of writing on Friday, as investors adjust their positions following a turbulent week in the broader crypto market. The remittance token is up over 21% from its intraday low of $1.12.