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Weekly economic & financial comentary

Summary

United StatesLabor Market Continues to Tread Water

  • The longest government shutdown on record continues to drag on. Private sector data show hiring remains weak, but layoffs remain contained. That said, the pressure to trim headcount appears to be broadening, as cost pressures continue to mount and tariff uncertainty persists.
  • Next week: NFIB Small Business Optimism Index (Tue.)

InternationalGlobal Policy Pause: A Week of Holds with One Exception

  • This week, several central banks across both G10 and emerging markets convened to assess monetary policy, with most opting to keep interest rates unchanged. The Bank of England, Riksbank, Norges Bank, Reserve Bank of Australia and Brazil’s Central Bank all held their respective policy rates steady. The only exception was Banxico, which delivered a rate cut, albeit with a hawkish tilt.
  • Next week: U.K. GDP (Thu.), China Industrial Production and Retail Sales (Fri.)

Topic of the WeekSupreme Court Hears Tariff Case

  • Wednesday’s oral arguments provided the first indication of how the U.S. Supreme Court will strike down President Trump’s tariffs under the International Emergency Economic Powers Act (IEEPA). No matter what the Court decides, the high-tariff environment is set to remain.

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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.