US economy grows less than expected but households remain resilient Economics Figures from the Bureau of Economic Analysis (BEA) showed that the world's largest economy grew at an annualised rate of 2.3 per cent in the final three months of the 2024.
US inflation rises slightly but core prices weaker than expected Economics US inflation rose at a slightly weaker pace than expected last month, but it is unlikely to be enough to prompt the Federal Reserve into cutting interest rates in the near future. The latest figures from the Bureau of Labor Statistics showed that the headline rate picked up to 2.9 per cent in December, up [...]
Pound endures week of misery amid gilt sell-off Markets The pound came in as the worst-performing G10 currency for a second day running yesterday, as the gilt market continues to trade at decade-long highs. After spiking as high as $1.255 on Tuesday, the pound has since fallen to $1.229, its lowest point since October 2023. “What makes the current situation particularly noteworthy is that [...]
Resurgent inflation fears drive global sell-off in government debt January 8, 2025 Government bonds suffered a major sell-off on Tuesday as fears about the potential persistence of inflation continued to build.
Why the gold price will continue to rally in 2025 December 28, 2024 The untrammelled ascent of bitcoin has occupied the attention of many market watchers of late, with Donald Trump’s election to the White House sending the cryptocurrency – and others like it – on an eye-watering tear. Bitcoin has risen nearly 50 per cent since November 3 – the eve of the US election – while [...]
US markets tumble as Fed signals fewer interest rate cuts in 2025 December 19, 2024 US markets plunged last night after the Federal Reserve signalled that it would take a more cautious path to interest rate cuts next year. Following the Fed’s announcement, the Dow Jones fell 2.6 per cent, the S&P 500 fell three per cent, and the Nasdaq fell 3.6 per cent. This was the biggest decline in [...]
US inflation ticks up as market holds breath for Fed cut December 11, 2024 US inflation ticked up to 2.7 per cent in November, a rise from 2.6 per cent in October and matching analyst expectations. This was the highest level of inflation that the US has experienced since July, after dipping to as low as 2.4 per cent throughout September. Inflation has not been below its 2 per [...]
Fed gets ‘green light’ for another interest rate cut following jobs report December 6, 2024 The latest jobs report showed that the world's largest economy added 227,000 jobs last month, slightly ahead of the 200,000 expected by economists.
Fed cuts rates by 25 basis points just days after Donald Trump’s victory November 7, 2024 The decision, the second in the cutting cycle, was widely anticipated by markets and means the federal funds rate stands in a range of 4.50-4.75 per cent.
US reports worst jobs growth since December 2020 November 1, 2024 The US has reported its worst jobs growth since December 2020, as only 12,000 new jobs were added to the economy during September. This was significantly below the 113,000 forecast by analysts, leaving economists describing the numbers as “weak”. However, unemployment held steady at 4.1 per cent, while average hourly earnings rose 0.4 per cent [...]