Tech optimism bolsters risk appetite

Chris Beauchamp IG

Optimism over tech earnings continues to lift US markets, while bitcoin's recovery goes on, says Chris Beauchamp, Chief Market Analyst at online trading and investing platform IG.

US and Europe diverge in quiet trading

While the tech-driven surge has continued, we are once again seeing a divergence between the US and everyone else. Earnings from AMD and TSMC have reinforced the narrative on AI demand, but for Europe that offers less comfort given the smaller weighting of tech across the continent. Faced with ongoing supply disruptions, the US outlook continues to look rosier than that in Europe.

Bitcoin holds above $80K

Bitcoin’s recovery continues to fly under the radar, but this sustained bounce from the February lows marks a distinct change in tone for the cryptocurrency. Inflows are providing much-needed support, while the broader risk-on tone for markets has meant that bitcoin stands a much stronger chance of mounting a push back to $90K.

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.

GBP/USD fills weekly bearish gap; upside seems capped amid UK political chaos

The GBP/USD pair climbs back to the 1.3235 region during the Asian session and fails the weekly bearish gap opening amid a modest US Dollar downtick, though the upside potential seems limited.

EUR/USD declines to near 1.1450 amid concerns over progress for US-Iran peace deal

The EUR/USD pair drifts lower to around 1.1460 during the early Asian session on Monday. Concerns about progress for the US-Iran peace deal and expectations of higher US interest rates boost a safe-haven currency such as the US Dollar against the Euro. European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde is set to speak later on Monday.

Gold sticks to modest gains; bulls seem hesitant amid Fed hike bets, Iran risks

Gold attracts some buyers at the start of a new week, and seems to have snapped a three-day losing streak to a more than one-week low, touched last Friday. Crude Oil prices turn lower following a modest bullish gap after mediators Qatar and Pakistan announced a formal 60-day roadmap aimed at securing a final US-Iran peace deal. This helps ease concerns around inflation and higher interest rates, offering some support to the precious metal.

Breaking: Iran closes the Strait of Hormuz amid ceasefire deal violation

Iran says it is closing the Strait of Hormuz after accusing the United States (US) and Israel of violating the ceasefire. According to Iran, the decision came over the continued Israeli strikes in Lebanon. The Iranian Revolutionary Guard Corps Navy issued a warning to all vessels: "Do not approach the Strait of Hormuz; otherwise, your security will be jeopardized."

Cardano: Whale accumulation offers limited relief

Cardano (ADA) is trading near $0.158 on Monday after a steep 14% correction in the previous week. While on-chain data from Santiment indicates that some large holders accumulated ADA during the recent sell-off, derivatives market indicators remain mixed.

Regime change: Inside Kevin Warsh's first move to make the Fed unreadable on purpose

The rate did not move. That was the least interesting thing about Kevin Warsh's first meeting in charge of the Fed. The FOMC held its benchmark at 3.50%-3.75% for the fourth straight meeting, exactly as priced, and then the new chair used his first press conference to dismantle the machinery the market has leaned on for a decade.