Fed has to be cautious about recent softness in inflation - ANZ

Ross J Burland FXStreet

Analysts at ANZ explained that in her testimony this week, Fed Chair Yellen seemed to hint that she was starting to second-guess whether the recent softness in inflation was just due to transitory factors.

Key Quotes:

"The latest CPI figures arguably added to the convoluted picture. Some of the components that have been responsible for recent weakness (like telecommunication services) continued to weigh, while others, such as services ex-energy inflation, are a little more consistent with spare capacity continuing to be absorbed in the economy."

"It is a mixed picture that is likely to leave the Fed cautious, and it is little wonder markets have lowered the odds of further rate hikes this year. Whether it also delays the start of balance sheet normalisation remains to be seen, but we suspect the Fed will want to push on with that for now."

Author

Ross J Burland

FXStreet

Ross J Burland, born in England, UK, is a sportsman at heart. He played Rugby and Judo for his county, Kent and the South East of England Rugby team.

EUR/USD holds steady above 1.1850 in quiet session

EUR/USD stays defensive but holds 1.1850 amid quiet markets in the European hours on Monday. The US Dollar is struggling for direction due to thin liquidity conditions as US markets are closed in observance of Presidents' Day holiday.

GBP/USD flat lines near 1.3650 ahead of UK and US data

GBP/USD kicks off a new week on a subdued note and oscillates in a narrow range near 1.3650 on Monday. The mixed fundamental backdrop warrants some caution for aggressive traders as the market focus now shifts to this week's important data releases from the UK and the US.

Gold corrects lower, tries to stabilize above $5,000

Gold started the week under bearish pressure and declined to the $4,960 area before staging a modest rebound. As trading volumes remain thin with the US financial markets remaining closed on Presidents' Day holiday, XAU/USD looks to stabilize above $5,000 ahead of this week's key data releases.

Bitcoin consolidates as on-chain data show mixed signals

Bitcoin price has consolidated between $65,700 and $72,000 over the past nine days, with no clear directional bias. US-listed spot ETFs recorded a $359.91 million weekly outflow, marking the fourth consecutive week of withdrawals.

The week ahead: Key inflation readings and why the AI trade could be overdone

It is likely to be a quiet start to the week, with US markets closed on Monday for Presidents Day. European markets are higher across the board and gold is clinging to the $5,000 level after the tamer than expected CPI report in the US reduced haven flows to precious metals.

Monero Price Forecast: XMR risks a drop below $300 under mounting bearish pressure

Monero (XMR) starts the week under pressure, recording a 4% decline at press time on Monday after a 7% drop the previous day, putting the $300 support zone in focus.