Fed’s Bostic: Fed is likely to consider rate cuts soon, but doesn't face urgency

Lallalit Srijandorn FXStreet

Federal Reserve Bank of Atlanta President Bostic said on Thursday that a strong economy argues for patience in adjusting monetary policy.

Key quotes

“Fed does not face urgency to cut rates given the current economy.”

“Strong economy argues for patience in adjusting monetary policy.”

“Fed likely to soon contemplate cutting rates.”

“Inflation likely to decline more slowly than markets expect.”

“Fed has made solid progress in lowering inflation.”

“US economy is in a ‘good spot’.”

“Unlikely January CPI signals a big change in the trend of weakening inflation.”

“Sees case U.S. economy less sensitive to interest rate changes.”

“‘Fight is not finished’ on getting inflation back to 2%.”

“The job market is remarkably strong.”

“Overall economic risks have become more balanced.”

Market reaction

The US Dollar Index (DXY) is trading unchanged on the day at 104.26, as of writing.

Author

Lallalit Srijandorn

FXStreet

Lallalit Srijandorn is a Parisian at heart. She has lived in France since 2019 and now becomes a digital entrepreneur based in Paris and Bangkok.

AUD/USD sticks to neutral bias above 0.7100 amid cautious markets

AUD/USD holds steady above 0.7100 in the Asian session on Monday as the US Dollar stalls its modest pullback from the highest level since late July amid persistent geopolitical uncertainties. The PBOC status quo on Loan Prime Rates also weighs on the Aussie. However, bets on another RBA rate hike continue to underpin the Australian Dollar ahead of the Trump-Xi Summit.

USD/JPY eases below 157.00 amid looming intervention risks

USD/JPY is easing back below 157.00 in Asia on Monday, undermined by modest Japanese Yen strength amid looming intervention risks after Friday's BoJ rate check. A Japanese holiday also keeps traders on edge amid escalating geopolitical tensions between Russia and Ukraine and in the Middle East. As a result, the US Dollar pauses its pullback, limiting the pair's downside.

Gold remains depressed around $4,350 amid rate jitters, modest USD strength

Gold maintains its offered tone through the first half of the European session, and currently trades around $4,350, down over 0.50% for the day. The commodity, however, holds comfortably above a six-week low, touched last Wednesday as traders await further developments around the Middle East crisis and their implications for inflation. This, in turn, would influence interest rate expectations and, in turn, drive the non-yielding bullion.

Bitcoin hits $85,000 for the first time in eight months

Bitcoin price reclaims $85,000 on Monday, advancing last week’s 5% recovery toward an eight-month high. The recovery in King Crypto aligns with renewed institutional demand, with Exchange Traded Funds (ETFs) recording $433 million in inflows on Friday.

The week ahead: Fuel prices in focus as we lead up to key eco releases

Financial markets are in a strange position as we move to the final weeks of Q3, uncertainty and volatility continue to grip markets, but the oil price is falling; and European and US stocks are poised to open higher later on Monday. Market stresses are concentrated in sovereign bonds, and European and US yields had another scare late on Friday, and moved higher.

BoJ Recap: Not as hawkish as expected

The Bank of Japan (BoJ) raised its short-term interest-rate target to 1.25% from 1.00% in a 7-2 vote, marking another step in the normalisation of monetary policy and widely matching what everyone has been expecting for weeks.