Dow hits new peak but consumer sentiment gets worse

Chris Beauchamp IG

US consumers are becoming increasingly worried, which contrasts sharply with record highs for American indices, says Chris Beauchamp, Chief Market Analyst at online trading and investing platform IG.

Dow joins in the new highs

Stock markets have continued to drift higher, as we enter the final weeks of a very strong US earnings season. Signs of the rally broadening out beyond tech are the vital next step for the market to retain its bullish outlook, and Dow’s record high ticks that box nicely given tech’s lower weighting in the iconic index. A long weekend in for the NYSE and FTSE means we have some trimming of risk, but this month has hardly been filled with the ‘sell in May’ moves some might have expected.

US inflation expectations rise as rate hike bets firm up

US consumers continue to fret about price pressures, as flagged up in today’s Michigan data, while confidence continues to be hit hard as well. Markets are now expecting the Fed to move rates higher by the end of the year, and while this is perhaps a little premature, the evidence continues to point towards resurgent inflation over the summer.

Author

Chris Beauchamp

Chris Beauchamp has been with IG for four years, and in that time has become a regular commentator and analyst for the financial press and TV, with appearances on all the major financial channels as well as the BBC and Sky News.

AUD/USD gains traction near 0.7100 as the post-Fed USD rally pauses

AUD/USD finds fresh buyers and retakes 0.7100 in the Asian session on Thursday as the US Dollar pauses its hawkish Fed-inspired rally to its highest level since late July. However, RBA rate-hike bets and hopes for US-Iran diplomatic efforts lift risk sentiment and support the risk-sensitive Australian Dollar and the major.

USD/JPY reverses a dip below 156.00 as focus shifts to BoJ

USD/JPY is reversing a brief dip below 156.00 in the Asian session on Thursday, looking to snap a three-day winning streak to a nearly two-week top set the previous day. The US Dollar pauses following the post-Fed rally to seven-week highs, while a more hawkish repricing of the BoJ's policy normalization path supports the Japanese Yen. This keeps the pair's upside limited, with the focus now shifting to the BoJ policy decision due on Friday.

Gold pops to weekly highs near $4,400

Gold climbs sharply and clinches fresh weekly peaks around the $4,480 zone per troy ounce on Thursday. The precious metal’s bounce leaves behind three daily declines in a row and follows the marked retracement in the US Dollar as well as another negative performance of crude oil prices.

Ripple, Cardano, Dogecoin: Downside risk looms amid market uncertainties

Top altcoins, including Ripple (XRP), Cardano (ADA), and Dogecoin (DOGE), face imminent downside risk as prevailing upside momentum recedes toward neutral.

The Fed hawkishly hiked rates

The Fed proceeded with its first rate hike since 2023, as was widely expected. It should be noted that the bank hiked rates against US President Trump’s wishes. It’s characteristic that Fed Chair Warsh stated that 'Inflation is too high and has been for too long’, signalling his hawkish intentions.

How Japan became the World's Banker and why that era may be ending

Japan's ultra-low interest rates helped finance trillions of dollars in global investments for more than a decade, making the Japanese Yen one of the world’s cheapest sources of funding. With the Bank of Japan expected to tighten policy again this week, that advantage may be entering a new phase. While most major economies raised interest rates, Japan remained the world's outlier.