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Editors’ Picks
Gold: Record rally sustains near $4,500 on safe-haven flows
Gold sustains the record-setting rally near $4,500 in the Asian session on Wednesday. The Israel-Iran conflict and the escalating US-Venezuela tensions boost safe-haven flows into Gold. Furthermore, US Q3 GDP data fails to lift the US Dollar amid growing bets for two Fed rate cuts in 2026, underpinning the non-yielding bullion.
AUD/USD: Buyers recapture 0.6700 on extended USD weakness
AUD/USD is holding higher ground above 0.6700 in Wednesday's Asian trading as the US Dollar falls across the board. The Australian Dollar is catching a fresh bullish bid as the Reserve Bank of Australia faces down future interest rate hikes in 2026, while the Federal Reserve is expected to get caught in a long-run rate-cutting cycle, depressing Greenback market flows.
USD/JPY stays deep in the red below 156.00 on intervention risks
USD/JPY stays deep in the red below 156.00 in the Asian session on Wednesday. The US Dollar weakens despite the stronger-than-expected US Q3 Gross Domestic Product report, while the Japanese Yen capitalizes on looming risks of a forex market intervention by local authorities.
The crypto market is preparing us for a deeper global sell-off
The crypto market capitalisation fell by 1.4% to $2.97T, falling below the $3T mark once again. The market was unable to repeat the robust rebound from the local bottom, as it did after 23 November and 2 December, indicating increased pressure from sellers.
Ten questions that matter going into 2026
2026 may be less about a neat “base case” and more about a regime shift—the market can reprice what matters most (growth, inflation, fiscal, geopolitics, concentration). The biggest trap is false comfort: the same trades can look defensive… right up until they become crowded.
Majors
Cryptocurrencies
Signatures
S&P 500
The Standard & Poor's 500 (S&P 500) is a stock market index tracking the stock performance of 500 of the largest companies listed on stock exchanges in the United States (US). It is seen as a leading indicator of US equities and includes approximately 80% of the total market capitalization of US public companies.
The S&P 500, operated by S&P Dow Jones Indices, is weighted by free-float market capitalization, meaning that larger companies have a greater impact on the index. Constituents and their weights are regularly updated based on rules set by S&P Dow Jones Indices.
The S&P Index Committee, comprising analysts and economists at Standard & Poor's, selects the companies based on criteria such as market size, liquidity, and industry grouping.
Over time, the S&P 500 serves as a key benchmark for the US economy.
HISTORIC HIGHS AND LOWS FOR S&P 500
- All-time records: Max: 6,001.35 on 11/11/2024 – Min: 4.40 on 05/1932
- Last 5 years: Max: 6,001.35 on 11/11/2024 – Min: 2,237.40 on 23/03/2020
* Data as of November 2024
ASSETS THAT INFLUENCE THE S&P 500
- Currencies: US Dollar (USD).
- Commodities: Oil and Gold.
- Bonds: US Treasury Bonds.
ORGANIZATIONS, PEOPLE, AND ECONOMIC DATA THAT INFLUENCE THE S&P 500
Since the S&P 500 is a benchmark of US stocks, its value is influenced by a variety of decisions and indicators affecting major companies, including:
- Economic indicators inflation – Consumer Price Index (CPI) and Producer Price Index (PPI) –, consumer confidence (University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index), economic growth (GDP), employment (Nonfarm Payrolls), and salaries (Average Weekly Earnings).
- Interest rates, decided by the Federal Reserve (Fed), the central banking system of the US. Jerome Powell, the 16th Chair of the Fed, has held the position since February 2018 after being nominated by Donald Trump and confirmed by the Senate.
- Fiscal policy, trade deals, and business laws decided by the US president, the Treasury Department and the Department of Commerce. The Treasury focuses on fostering economic stability, growth and financial integrity, while the Department of Commerce supports economic growth and established industrial standards.
- Energy prices such as electricity and Oil directly impact production costs for companies within the S&P 500.