ECB's President Lagarde: rates have probably reached peak, EU not in recession

Joshua Gibson FXStreet

European Central Bank (ECB) President Christine Lagarde hit the wires on Thursday in an attempt to soothe markets and reaffirm that the ECB is likely done with rate hikes, a nearly forgone conclusion for markets at this point.

Key highlights

President Lagarde: believes rates have reached peak.
Euro Area is not in an official recession.
Fighting inflation often means less growth.
European salaries are outpacing inflation.
Lagarde expects Euro Zone inflation at 1.9% by 2025.
Despite progress, doesn't mean inflation decline will be smooth.

Author

Joshua Gibson

FXStreet

Joshua joins the FXStreet team as an Economics and Finance double major from Vancouver Island University with twelve years' experience as an independent trader focusing on technical analysis.

GBP/USD declines to near 1.3500 as US-Iran tensions rise

The GBP/USD pair declines to near 1.3500 during the early European trading hours on Wednesday. Ongoing tensions in the Middle East provide some support to a safe-haven currency such as the US Dollar against the British Pound. All eyes will be on the US August jobs report later on Friday.

EUR/USD falls to two-week low below 1.1600 on broad USD strength

EUR/USD remains under bearish pressure after closing in negative territory on Tuesday and trades at its lowest level in two weeks below 1.1600 on Wednesday. As tensions in the Middle East escalate further, the US Dollar gathers strength on risk-aversion and hawkish Fed repricing, forcing the pair to stay on the back foot. Later in the day, private sector employment data from the US will be watched closely by market participants.

Gold recovers above $4,300; upside seems capped as Fed bets support USD

Gold recovers early lost ground to a four-week low, and trades above $4,320 heading into the European session. A modest US Dollar pullback is seen as a key factor supporting the commodity, though any meaningful upside seems elusive amid hawkish US Federal Reserve expectations. The escalating Middle East conflict lifted crude oil prices to a fresh high since July 24, stoking inflation fears and reaffirming bets for a Fed rate hike in September.

WTI advances to mid-$90.00s, fresh high since July 24 amid escalating US-Iran tensions

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) – the benchmark US Crude Oil price – scales higher for the third straight day – also marking the fifth day of a positive move in the previous six – and climbs to a fresh high since July 24 during the Asian session on Wednesday.

BoC set to keep interest rates steady despite sticky inflation

The Bank of Canada is widely expected to keep its policy rate unchanged at 2.25% on Wednesday. This would be the seventh consecutive gathering with the central bank sitting on the fence. The BoC left its policy rate unchanged at 2.25% in July, as widely anticipated.

Diesel’s record $100 warning: The oil shock hiding in plain sight

The Oil market may look calmer than it did a few months ago, but diesel is sending a very different message. The US diesel crack spread, the premium of ultra-low sulphur diesel futures over WTI, recently surged above $100 per barrel for the first time, reaching an intraday record of just over $102.00.