Summary
With varying levels of recovery growth in the economies they regulate the different central banks are at a crossroads for policy divergence. New Zealand with its commodity driven economy and the rebuild for Christchurch stoking inflation has already raised interest rates three times while others are rumored to be next for one reason or another. Amidst this environment we find the ECB taking the extreme opposite with its recent moves of a triple rate cut and negative deposit rates to mounting calls for actually printing money. Join Mark de la Paz as we examine the conditions facing the European Central Bank in its latest Governing Council meeting and how do these relate to its upcoming decision and the Euros technical outlookLatest Live Videos
Editors’ Picks
Gold eases some ground, approaches $5,300
Gold now surrenders part of the earlier advance, reshifting its attenton to the $5,300 zone per troy ounce at the beginning of the week. Indeed, the yellow metal’s firm performance appears propped up by incresing geopolitical jitters in the Middle East, which at the same time fuels the demand for the safe-haven space.
Oil retains the bullish view above $70.00/bbl
Crude oil is now giving away some gains after the initial 12% advance catapulted prices to levels last seen in the summer of 2025. That said, the barrel of WTI now breaks below the $71.00 mark, although the positive stance looks unchallenged as traders continue to react to heightened geopolitical risk after US and Israeli military strikes on Iran and the effective shutdown of shipping through the Strait of Hormuz.
EUR/USD remains on the back foot around 1.1700
EUR/USD is coming under heavy selling pressure, hovering around the 1.1700 region in the latter part of the NA session on Monday. The pair’s severe retracement comes as the US Dollar stages a marked bounce on the back of the prevailing flight to safety atmosphere, as investors react to the escalating conflict in the Middle East.
Bitcoin on brink of breakdown amid US-Iran war
Bitcoin (BTC) remains under pressure near the key support level of $65,700. Trading at $66,400 at the time of writing on Monday, a breakdown below this critical level would suggest a deeper correction ahead.
The Fed is finally talking about AI – Here's why it matters for the US Dollar Premium
AI is moving from earnings calls into the heart of monetary policy discussions, forcing Federal Reserve officials to confront a new question: How to act if AI reshapes inflation, employment and interest rates at the same time?
Here is what you need to know on Monday, March 2:
Safe-haven flows dominate the action in financial markets to start the week after the United States and Israel carried out a coordinated attack on Iran over the weekend. The US economic calendar will feature the Institute for Supply Management's Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index data for February later in the day but investors will remain focused on headlines coming out of the Middle East.