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Weekly economic and financial commentary

Summary

United States: Employment Friday That Wasn't

  • The first Friday of the month has come, but since the U.S. federal government is shut down, it didn't bring with it the latest read on the jobs market. The manufacturing and services sector purchasing manager surveys suggest activity held up at the end of the third quarter, but underlying conditions remain uneasy.

  • Next week: Trade Balance (Tue.), Consumer Credit (Tue.)

International: Mix of Economic Data from Advanced and Emerging Economies

  • This week saw a range of international economic data releases. On the policy front, the Reserve Bank of Australia held its Cash Rate steady at 3.60%. In the Eurozone, inflation ticked higher but remained broadly in line with expectations. Across Asia, Japan’s Q3 Tankan survey reflected broadly favorable trends, while China’s PMI readings were more mixed but still suggested modest overall improvement.

  • Next week: Japan Labor Cash Earnings (Wed.), RBNZ Policy Rate (Wed.), Norway CPI (Fri.)

Topic of the Week: Shutdown Showdown

  • Fiscal year 2026 began on Wednesday, Oct. 1 with a government shutdown. The economic and financial market impact of a 1-2 week government shutdown should be modest, but a longer shutdown would be more painful, and the indefinite delay of key economic data clouds the near-term outlook for U.S. monetary policy.

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Editor's Picks

EUR/USD drops to daily lows near 1.1630

EUR/USD now loses some traction and slips back to the area of daily lows around 1.1630 on the back of a mild bounce in the US Dollar. Fresh US data, including the September PCE inflation numbers and the latest read on December consumer sentiment, didn’t really move the needle, so the pair is still on course to finish the week with a respectable gain.

GBP/USD trims gains, recedes toward 1.3320

GBP/USD is struggling to keep its daily advance, coming under fresh pressure and retreating to the 1.3320 zone following a mild bullish attempt in the Greenback. Even though US consumer sentiment surprised to the upside, the US Dollar isn’t getting much love, as traders are far more interested in what the Fed will say next week.

Gold makes a U-turn, back to $4,200

Gold is now losing the grip and receding to the key $4,200 region per troy ounce following some signs of life in the Greenback and a marked bounce in US Treasury yields across the board. The positive outlook for the precious metal, however, remains underpinned by steady bets for extra easing by the Fed.

Crypto Today: Bitcoin, Ethereum, XRP pare gains despite increasing hopes of upcoming Fed rate cut

Bitcoin is steadying above $91,000 at the time of writing on Friday. Ethereum remains above $3,100, reflecting positive sentiment ahead of the Federal Reserve's (Fed) monetary policy meeting on December 10.

Week ahead – Rate cut or market shock? The Fed decides

Fed rate cut widely expected; dot plot and overall meeting rhetoric also matter. Risk appetite is supported by Fed rate cut expectations; cryptos show signs of life. RBA, BoC and SNB also meet; chances of surprises are relatively low.

Ripple faces persistent bear risks, shrugging off ETF inflows

Ripple is extending its decline for the second consecutive day, trading at $2.06 at the time of writing on Friday. Sentiment surrounding the cross-border remittance token continues to lag despite steady inflows into XRP spot ETFs.