5-Minute Market Update - Forex, Stocks, Crypto - Oil Prices Plunge on Saudi Arabia Attack
Forex Update
Last week was a mediocre week for the dollar, though easing of trade tensions have caused many investors to have a bullish long-term outlook. At the same time, newly developed conflicts between Iran and Saudi Arabia have spiked oil prices and may reduce the dollar’s relative spending power. Expect a week characterized by a lot of ups and downs.
We’ll also pay attention to whether the Fed decides to cut interest rates. Meanwhile, the Canadian Dollar dropped, largely due to its close ties to global oil prices. The Euro also struggled following the release of some disappointing financial reports. We’ll see if the Swiss Central Bank will influence the Franc’s value following a much-anticipated policy announcement.
The Pound was able to outperform its European counterparts last week, following increased speculation that a hard Brexit may be avoided. Both further Brexit developments and an announcement from the Bank of England are expected to directly impact Sterling’s future.
On the other side of the world, we saw the Bank of Japan’s easing strategies cause the Yen to fall to the bottom of the forex standings. Down under, the Aussie Dollar was able to avoid much of the world’s drama and to emerge among the top performers. The Kiwi remained somewhere in between its eastern counterparts, experiencing several waves of up and down movements.
Crypto Update
Following an initial burst to start the month of September, Bitcoin has remained fairly stable, hovering within a roughly $500 value range. At the same time, Ethereum largely mimicked Bitcoin’s movements, including a minor drop to begin the trading week on Monday.
The global crypto market has remained largely focused on Libra, Facebook’s proposed new currency that has come under fire by European regulators. While Facebook insists that the coin will be a net good for the global economy, others are worried it will undermine many nation’s abilities to control their own sovereignty.
This week, we saw Deutsche Bank join JP Morgan and gain access to a crypto payment network that includes more than 320 banks. The union of these major players—two of the largest banks in the world—will likely help spark some momentum throughout the crypto industry. The industry also picked up some momentum following HTC’s decision to support Bitcoin Cash via phone.
Stock Market Update
It was a fairly stable week for the stock market, which saw the S&P 500 remain within a 40 point range and—briefly—eclipse the much-coveted 3,000 point mark. The Dow Jones Industrial Average and the Russell 2000 were also fairly stable, though tensions in global oil markets may cause some problems for the world’s largest indexes.
Following an attack on Saudi oil plants that was allegedly committed by Iran, the price of crude oil increased by more than 12 percent. Higher oil prices will likely impact the cost of producing and delivering most consumer goods, especially considering that oil is still the world’s most consumed source of energy. At the same time, BP, Exxon Mobil, and most other western suppliers saw their stocks open with the week with positive momentum.
We’ll see whether or not these developments cause Saudi Aramco to delay its IPO. We’ll also see whether the United States is able to work out a trade deal with China, something that is likely to help most American stocks. Elsewhere on Wall Street, the changes in the junk debt may function as an early warning sign of a pending recession.
https://learn.investdiva.com/start
Create your
podcast in
minutes
It is Free