Stock shed ground following payrolls

Chris Beauchamp IG

A stronger payrolls report has failed to support stocks in afternoon trading, says Chris Beauchamp, Chief Market Analyst at investing and trading platform IG.

Session turns ‘risk off’ despite better jobs report

US futures had reacted positively to news that payrolls had been stronger than expected, but the potential for a delay to rate cuts seems to have weighed more heavily on investors as the full trading session got underway on Wall Street. Once more the FTSE 100 is the safe haven among stock markets, supported by rising commodity prices. Still, with overall US market breadth hitting a record high, the overall situation points towards further upside in the medium-term, even if the journey seems destined to be a bit more volatile.

Bitcoin selloff resumes

Cryptocurrencies have resumed their slide lower after last week’s bounce. There still seems no appetite to go dip-buying in the asset class, which hit fresh multi-month lows last week. In a world filled with AI and where gold continues to shine, bitcoin’s appeal is firmly on the wane at present, and if this selloff is like the others, we could be in for a long period of declines before it finally hits a sustainable low.

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 keeps range near mid-0.7100s as USD bulls await US CPI

AUD/USD steadies near mid-0.7100s in the Asian session on Friday, stalling the previous day's sharp decline to an over one-week low. The August PPI report reaffirmed Fed rate-hike bets and boosted the US Dollar on Thursday, which weighed heavily on the pair. However, hawkish RBA expectations limited losses for the Aussie as USD bulls now await the release of the US consumer inflation figures before placing fresh bets.

USD/JPY holds lower ground toward 154.00; looks to US CPI

USD/JPY holds lower ground toward 154.00 in the Asian session on Friday after hot Japanese PPI data bolster a more hawkish BoJ repricing and provide fresh impetus to the Japanese Yen. However, the downside appears capped as the US Dollar preserves overnight gains ahead of the latest US consumer inflation data.

Gold: Gains remain capped by $4,400

Gold regains composure and trades with decent gains on Friday, managing to refocus attention on the $4,440 mark per ounce troy. Therefore, the precious metal reverses Thursday’s decline as the US Dollar alternates gains with losses at the end of the week.

Ripple Price Forecast: XRP extends decline as returning ETF inflows fail to lift outlook

Ripple (XRP) falls below $1.33 on Friday, marking the third consecutive day of declines. The token continues to track the broader cryptocurrency market downturn, with investors closely monitoring heightened macroeconomic uncertainty ahead of the United States (US) Consumer Price Index (CPI) release and next week’s Federal Reserve (Fed) monetary policy decision.

Weekly focus – The hawks set the tone

Risky assets came under pressure this week as energy prices kept creeping higher and the ECB surprised the markets with a hawkish tone. The price of Brent crude touched USD 110 per barrel on Thursday night, highest since mid-May, as news emerged that the Yemeni Houthis had reached control of key port cities and islands near the Bab el-Mandeb strait.

Venezuela’s 65-billion-barrel Oil deal could reshape America’s inflation fight

The United States (US) has secured unprecedented access to part of Venezuela’s vast Oil reserves. The timing is particularly significant as the war with Iran is disrupting Middle Eastern supplies, keeping energy prices elevated and reviving concerns about inflation.