Merlin wraps up an eventful trading week with a look at 6 stages of trader development. This is in response to a listener from NYC who has been struggling for the past 6 months. Merlin shares his trading evolution steps and outlines what traders can expect along the way to success. He also takes a look at the broad markets as well as Ford and Microsoft.
Editors’ Picks
EUR/USD climbs to multi-week tops near 1.1700
EUR/USD rapidly leaves behind four consecutive daily pullbacks, challenging the 1.1700 hurdle in response to the severe sell-off in the Greenback as investors continued to evaluate the Fed’s rate cut and the neutral message from Chief Powell. Next on tap on the docket will be the weekly US labour market report on Thursday.
GBP/USD pressures intraday highs as USD gains downward traction
GBP/USD gains upward traction as the USD eased following the Federal Reserve decision to trim the benchmark interest rate by 25 bps. FOMC divided, Summary of Economic Projections shows no relevant changes.
USD/JPY slumps to near 156.00 after Fed cuts rates
The USD/JPY pair tumbles to near 156.00 during the early Asian session on Thursday. The US Dollar weakens against the Japanese Yen after the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates in a widely expected move. The US weekly Initial Jobless Claims are due later on Thursday.
Editors’ Picks
AUD/USD leaves the door open to extra gains
AUD/USD adds to Tuesday’s uptick and approaches the key 0.6700 barrier as the NA session draws to a close, all amid the pronounced retracement in the US Dollar following the Fed’s interest rate cut. Next of note in Oz will be the release of the November jobs report.
USD/JPY slumps to near 156.00 after Fed cuts rates
The USD/JPY pair tumbles to near 156.00 during the early Asian session on Thursday. The US Dollar weakens against the Japanese Yen after the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates in a widely expected move. The US weekly Initial Jobless Claims are due later on Thursday.
Gold extends gains beyond $4,230 in the Fed’s aftermath
Gold prices are up after the US central bank's monetary policy announcement, trading around $4,230 as Asian traders reach their desks. A better market mood limits demand for the safe-haven metal, but broad US Dollar weakness skews the risk to the upside.
Bitcoin treasuries return to action as American Bitcoin, Strive and Strategy deliver buying update
Bitcoin digital asset treasuries are returning to action following a slight recovery in the top crypto. American Bitcoin, co-founded by the Trump brothers, acquired 416 BTC, worth about $38.5 million, since its last update on December 2. The purchase has pushed the company's total holdings to 4,783 BTC as of December 8, making it the 22nd-largest BTC treasury, behind ProCap Financial, according to Bitcoin Treasuries data.
Fed projects only 50 bps of additional rate cuts between 2026 and 2027; lifts GDP forecasts
The Federal Open Market Committee’s (FOMC) latest dot plot, released on Wednesday, indicates that interest rates will average 3.4% by the end of 2026, in line with the September projection.
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