Forex Trading Expert Advisors (EA or automated trading system) and Custom Indicators (CI) for MetaTrader Platform.

Meet the winners of the iPhone 14 Plus New Year draw
[img]https://fx-online.org/netcat_files/612/608/fe12fc461b6f5b40c0193a454f182625[/img]

Dear clients,

In December, we announced a New Year draw of multiple iPhone 14 Plus. It's time to announce the winners! Participants traded very actively to compete for the prize.

See who gets smartphones. Perhaps your account will be there.


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Congratulations to the winners! You will receive a notification in your Client Area and will be able to choose a convenient way to grab the prize.


Weekly Outlook: Bitcoin, Ethereum, Ripple
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​[img]https://fx-online.org/netcat_files/612/608/4c6db9300f31e64c277d11165e790550[/img]
Dear clients,

It's been some time since the domino effect caused by FTX, so how about we'll see what's going on with the market right now. This time, we'll be looking at Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple, their current and future performance.

Join us on January 25 at 12:00 GMT.

During webinars, FreshForex analyst will answer your questions regarding the market situation and comment on the latest news.

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Short month for long positions
[img]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/a6a1fb5615a23ea06bc0ebf155a7e634[/img]
Dear clients,

The last month of winter, although the smallest, can be the most profitable for you. Many key currencies are entering a transitional period, the opportunity like this should not be missed, and therefore we have prepared an excellent offer for you. For the whole February, make a deposit of any amount and trade USD currency pairs without swaps.

Terms of promotion:

1. The promotion is valid from February 1 to February 28, 2023.

2. When trading EURUSD, GBPUSD, AUDUSD, NZDUSD, USDJPY, USDCAD, USDCHF, the Company does not deduct Swap and Swap Free commissions for a rollover of opened positions through the night. The instruments' specification can be found here.

3. Promotion is available for any type of trading accounts.

4. The company reserves the right to change promotion terms and promotion period.

A Simple Secret to Successful Sales
[img]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/5d201777e431c6e68a0016555115f1e7[/img]
Dear clients,

When people hear of trading secrets, they usually think of complex patterns,charts and theories. But in reality, those can be simple things, yet just as effective. This time we'll be looking at some secrets of a news trading.

Join us on February 1 at 12:00 GMT.

During webinars, FreshForex analyst will answer your questions regarding the market situation and comment on the latest news.

If you missed the previous webinars, you can always find them here.

Trading signals: US Federal Reserve meeting
[img]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/ffcb85fc9a21ae84cfc8cb1e80f76f4e[/img]
Dear clients,

On February 1, a meeting of the US Federal Reserve System, the body that performs the functions of the Central Bank of America, will take place. The decision on the interest rate will determine the further movement of the market, which draw attention of traders.

How the situation with rates is developing right now, we will find out from our expert:

The Fed may raise rates by 0.25% and signal to the market that inflation is starting to decline, which will allow in the coming months to stop raising interest rates. On Wednesday, consider buying EURUSD, AUDUSD, XAUUSD, #SP500.

Get ahead from the start — make a deposit with cryptocurrency and get an additional 10% to your account.

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"No Dead-Cats": China's Fuel Demand Strongly Grows
[img]https://fx-online.org/netcat_files/612/608/cab2b50c52d4b0cdeec87f79524e3f50[/img]
Dear clients,

Oil consumption in China, the world's largest importer, has strongly risen since the coronavirus lockdown was lifted, OPEC member Kuwait assured.

"There is pent-up demand that has built up during the pandemic", said Sheikh Nawaf Al-Sabah, chief executive officer of Kuwait Petroleum Corp. "Now, after the opening, we are seeing a steady increase in demand. It's not a dead-cat rebound."

Traders are closely watching China, believing that the pace of its recovery will be the most important factor determining the movement of energy prices this year.

Brent has fallen nearly 7% since late December to just over $80 a barrel, largely because data from China showed the economic recovery has been patchy. However, analysts including Goldman Sachs Group Inc. and Morgan Stanley, predict that the price will exceed $100 in the second half of the year.

Kuwait is the fourth largest oil producer in the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries. It exports about 2 million barrels a day, or 2% of the world's supply, and China is its biggest buyer.

Natural Interest in Artificial Intelligence
[img]https://fx-online.org/netcat_files/612/608/d9223c1e6d348b1736fd00de6579e949[/img]
Dear clients,

Shares of Chinese AI makers have been causing a stir in mainland markets of late as the global buzz around chatbot ChatGPT fuels speculative bets on the revolutionary computing technology.

Just two months after launching, ChatGPT, which can generate articles, essays, jokes and even poetry in response to requests, has been voted the fastest growing consumer app in history.

Although ChatGPT is not available in China, mainland investors are still pumping up shares of AI technology companies.

However, at the moment there are no signs that these companies are ready to release a product like ChatGPT. The closest seems to be search giant Baidu Inc, which plans to complete testing of its "Ernie bot" in March. Their shares rose more than 13% on Tuesday after the announcement.

"The industry as a whole tends to speculate on expectations first and then trade on the actual results," said analysts at Beijing Gelei Asset Management.

The new trend has not gone unnoticed among tech giants. Thus, the owner of Google, Alphabet Inc. announced planning its own chatbot service and increasing the amount of artificial intelligence in its search engine. Microsoft, meanwhile, said it had scheduled its AI presentation for Tuesday.

Weekly Outlook: Brent Oil, Natural Gas
[img]https://fx-online.org/netcat_files/612/608/7e2a72efaa3a8a94de4249090a23c5f7[/img]
Dear clients,

The market expectations on China are so high, Saudi Arabia intends to raise their oil prices. This time we'll be looking again at Brent oil, natural gas, their positions and perspectives.

Join us on February 8 at 12:00 GMT.

During webinars, FreshForex analyst will answer your questions regarding the market situation and comment on the latest news.

If you missed the previous webinars, you can always find them here.

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Risk management is one of the main things in forex trading, because forex reacts very quickly and dynamically, especially to economic and political affairs that are happening in the world, especially in big countries, so it is very appropriate to study Freshforex fundamental and technical analysis  before trading.

Hot Winter Spread Sale!
[img]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/7c816e6a0ce6b4a6f087c83f9c5b2639[/img]
Dear clients,

The resumption of trade with China after a long quarantine is without exaggeration called the most important event of the year in the oil market. The imbalance of supply and demand, together with the revision of oil policy by key countries, is actively provoking a wave of volatility.

Do you want to conquer this wave? We will help you with that!

From February 15 to February 28, all Classic account holders will receive a 66% discount on the fixed spread on the #BRENT and #WTI oil contracts. The spread is reduced by 3 times — this is a profit of $160 per lot in each trade.

Weekly Outlook: Bitcoin, Ethereum
[img]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/807d8865d5b6daba6e4f2d33b894bee9[/img]
Dear clients,

Bearish trend is slowing down, so the crypto market should be able to breathe easier. However, there are other things at play. This time, we'll be looking at Bitcoin and Etherium.

Join us on February 15 at 12:00 GMT.

During webinars, FreshForex analyst will answer your questions regarding the market situation and comment on the latest news.

Trading Signals: U.S. Crude Oil Stocks
[img]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/9e493e05afb1bb6a73e57fa95787d5d0[/img]
Dear clients,

February 15 will be announced data on crude oil reserves from the US Department of Energy. Crude Oil Inventories The Energy Information Agency (EIA) estimates the weekly increase in barrels of commercial oil held by US firms. Inventory levels affect the price of petroleum products, which in turn affect inflation and other economic forces.

What data is expected this time, we will find out from our expert:

The American Petroleum Institute reported an increase in black gold reserves in US storage facilities by 10.5 million barrels, which is negative for oil prices. The US Department of Energy plans to deliver 26 million barrels of oil from the strategic reserve to the domestic market in the spring, which will put additional pressure on prices in the coming months. Today consider selling #WTI, #BRENT, #Exxon.

Two hikes and no cuts: the experts' opinion on interest rates
[img]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/c58ab3d48ec8b80f9dadff2afe217a5d[/img]
Dear clients,

The US Federal Reserve will raise interest rates at least twice in the coming months, with the risk of further hikes, according to most economists in the Reuters poll.

Thus most private sector forecasters are in agreement with central bank' own forecasts and rhetoric, leaving financial market traders only to hope that rates start to fall later this year.

With much stronger-than-expected US employment data earlier this month, Fed policymakers, including the Chairman Jerome Powell, have reiterated a higher-for-longer mantra that market traders have been wrestling with for months.

As inflation still more than doubling the Fed's 2.0% target, 46 of the 86 surveyed economists predicted the US central bank would go for two more 25 basis point increases, not only in March, but also in and May.

That would mean a peak of 5.00-5.25%, 25 basis points higher than most had forecast since November. All 37 people who answered an extra question said the bigger risk was that the federal funds rate could rise even higher.

There was no clear consensus on the Fed's discount rate by the end of 2023. But more than two-thirds of respondents in the latest poll do not expect a cut this year, as inflation is expected to remain above target until at least 2024.

When asked what is more likely to result in a rate cut, 21 economists named a significant reduction in inflation, and 14 saying a significant increase in unemployment.

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Weekly Outlook: Gold, Silver, Gas
[img]https://fx-online.org/netcat_files/612/608/257130c26a8b7c569956200beace2f56[/img]
Dear clients,

Gas prices in Europe are settling down, but warnings of a cold snap are keeping market on edge. Meanwhile, anticipation of new rate hikes by the Fed is holding gold down. This time, we'll be looking at gold, silver and gas, current and future movements.

Join us on February 22 at 12:00 GMT.

During webinars, FreshForex analyst will answer your questions regarding the market situation and comment on the latest news.

The Shaky Market of Stablecoin
[img]https://fx-online.org/netcat_files/612/608/313bbe36cd066488ef0ffdb9707556b4[/img]
Dear clients,

The $137 billion market could see shifts after New York-based Paxos Trust Company, which issues the Binance stablecoin, said it would stop issuing new BUSD tokens after US regulators designated the asset as a non-registered security.

However, the immediate effect was not negative for the stablecoin market as a whole; in fact, its total value has risen by $2 billion since February 13.

Instead, competitors are trying to capitalize on the woes of BUSD, the world's third-largest stablecoin, whose market value has shrunk from $16.1 billion to $12.9 billion and its market share has fallen from 12.1% to 9.4%, according to CoinGecko.com.

Market leader Tether (USDT) has won the most, increasing its market capitalization by $1.9 billion to reach $70.3 billion since the announcement. Now it controls 52.6% of the stablecoin market from just over 51%.

USD Coin, the second largest stablecoin, rose over $700 million to $42 billion, boosting its market share to 31.3%.

Stablecoins are a key part of the cryptosphere, and their more stable value allows them to be used to facilitate transfers between cryptocurrencies or fiat money. Traders also use these tokens to hedge their positions and hence the decline in market value is due to the drop in liquidity and leverage in the broader crypto market.

[img]Staying Negative: the Future of the Bank of Japan' policy[/img]
[img]https://fx-online.org/netcat_files/612/608/9dc716479e73d84ec0d0a20ba41cafa4[/img]
Dear clients,

While bond investors are betting that the BOJ will change its much-discussed yield curve control policy, they still see new governor Kazuo Ueda sticking to negative rates for now.

Benchmark 2-year government bond yields have fallen since mid-January, while 10-year yields remained at the 0.5% target set by the Bank of Japan.

The central bank has set an interest rate of minus 0.1% on the portion of deposits that commercial banks hold at the Bank of Japan since January 2016. This policy tool has helped keep two- and five-year yields flat, but the BOJ's 10-year yield cap forces it to make unprecedented debt purchases and risks exacerbating market distortions, an issue that the monetary authority says prompted it to take decision to double the yield ceiling in December.

Ueda's previous actions also confirm rumors that he may be in no hurry to reverse his negative rate policy. He voted against abandoning the zero rate policy when he was a board member of the Bank of Japan in August 2000.

Strong demand for Japan's five-year bonds at Thursday's auction also suggests that investors are not particularly worried about the end of the policy of negative interest rates. On sale, the cut-off price was higher than expected, and the demand-to-coverage ratio rose sharply, which is an indication of investor interest.

In the currency market, traders see a peak in perceived volatility around the time of current Governor Haruhiko Kuroda's last political meeting in March, and then a decline until Ueda's first meeting in April.

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Get ready for NFP
[img]https://fx-online.org/netcat_files/612/608/03907c2ec6476283d4fdd89c47291b22[/img]
Dear clients,

Non-farm Payroll is borderline most important trading point of a month. And you really want to be prepared for it. This time, we'll be looking at a simple, but fruitful strategy to use in NFP trading.

Join us on March 1 at 12:00 GMT.

During webinars, FreshForex analyst will answer your questions regarding the market situation and comment on the latest news.

The First Day of Spring Profit: 202% drawdown bonus
[img]https://fx-online.org/netcat_files/612/608/159da188e37ec1c2a59bf2c518b3c8ea[/img]
Spring is just around the corner and with it comes new trading opportunities. Whether you decide to go uncharted paths or stay on the old beaten road, the main thing is confidence. And to give you double the calm, we double the drawdown bonus!

If you want to support your account or boost it, make a deposit from $202 and get 202% of the drawdown amount.

Meet spring with profit!

A New Challenger. Meta enters the AI race
[img]https://fx-online.org/netcat_files/612/608/c3b5e49ef8a2008f94b64142259b8610[/img]
Meta Platforms Inc has announced last Friday it is releasing a large language model, the core software of a new AI system, to researchers, fueling the AI race as big tech companies rush to integrate the technology into their products and impress investors.

The battle for AI dominance began late last year with the launch of Microsoft-backed OpenAI ChatGPT and prompted tech heavyweights from Alphabet Inc to China's Baidu Inc to pitch in with their solutions.

LLaMA, short for Large Language Model Meta AI, will be made available under a non-commercial license to researchers and organizations associated with government, civil society and academia, according to a promo blog.

The model, which Meta says requires "much less" processing power than other alternatives, is trained in 20 languages, with a focus on Latin and Cyrillic languages.

AI has reinvigorated investments into the tech industry, whose slowdown has led to mass layoffs and cuts to experimental bets.

Meta claims that LLaMA outperforms competitors who explore more parameters or variables taken into account by the algorithm. In particular, the LLaMA version with 13 billion parameters could outperform GPT-3, the recent predecessor to the model on which ChatGPT is built.

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Trading Signals: NFP of February
[img]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/0d4f03fb4f05698899f4856f2e9a8d9c[/img]

Dear clients,

March 10 is expected to publish data on the Nonfarm Payroll, an indicator of US employment in the industrial sector. The report significantly affects the movement of the US dollar and related instruments.

What values are expected this time, our expert tells:

Leading indicators of employment from ISM for the industry and services indicate the release of positive data on Non-Farm Employment, which is favorable for the growth of the US stock market. On Friday consider buying #SP500, #NQ100, #Exxon, #JPMorgan.

Month of indexes without swaps
[img]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/b184d7482c288f0421e0ebd9fe7b4ad2[/img]
The spring thaw is approaching the market. Good news from China, oil volatility and prospects for new realities spur the growth of world indices, which favors market players.

We want to do our part aswell, trade the #DAX30, #DJI30, #NIKKEI and #FTSE100 indices from March 7 to April 2 without swaps!

Indices from different regions participate in the promotion, reflecting the value of the stock market in their zone.

DJI30 — one of the oldest indicators of the state of the US economy, includes stocks of 30 companies.
DAX30 is Germany's most important stock index and tracks the performance of the 40 largest German companies based on market capitalization on the Frankfurt Stock Exchange.
NIKKEI — Includes shares of 225 of the most actively traded companies on the Tokyo Stock Exchange.
FTSE100 is an English stock index that reflects the state and development of the UK economy. Includes 100 shares of companies listed on the London Stock Exchange.

"For the Alliance!": The Merging of Microsoft and Activision Blizzard
[img]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/875fc3835ae8792ce1755bf331a88007[/img]
Microsoft Corp is expected to win EU antitrust approval for its $69 billion acquisition of Activision Blizzard by offering licensing deals to rivals, sources close to the matter said.

Microsoft announced its acquisition of Activision Blizzard last January, its biggest deal ever, to take on industry leaders Tencent and Sony for the booming video game market. Sony, in turn, voiced concerns about Microsoft's expanding monopoly.

The main stumbling block has become the popular multi-platform Call of Duty series of games, which, once acquired by Microsoft, will cause an imbalance in the market, according to Sony.

The European Commission, which is due to decide on the deal by April 25, will not require Microsoft to sell assets to get approval, sources said.

Microsoft stated that it is "committed to offering effective and easily implemented solutions in order to remove the doubts of the European Commission." Last month, Microsoft announced it had signed 10-year licensing deals with Nintendo and Nvidia that would bring Call of Duty to their gaming platforms, subject to the agreement with Activision Blizzard being approved.

The deal is facing hurdles from regulators in Britain, where the UK competition agency has asked Microsoft to drop Call of Duty to alleviate the issue, while the US Federal Trade Commission has asked a judge to block the deal altogether.

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Freshforex is a good and strong company, trading condition is good, gives a low spread, offers various attractive promos , and all withdrawn smoothly to process.

Up to Day: Intraday strategy for beginners

[img]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/1a2c278a6c0af9ba530ae24442eca4c1[/img]
Dear clients,

Simple is the best, as people tend to say. Indeed, you don't need to play 5D chess with the market to make a profit. This time, we'll be looking at another solid stategy, useful for beginners.

Join us on March 22 at 12:00 GMT.

During webinars, FreshForex analyst will answer your questions regarding the market situation and comment on the latest news.

ETFs, the new instruments for profitable trading
[img]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/54584010a860d632fcac59c1ecd61336[/img]

Good news, we have added a new group of instruments — ETF contracts!

Every investor knows the principle of asset diversification. Spreading your capital across different instruments is a direct way to reduce investment risk. Even if the yield on one instrument falls, this does not lead to a complete collapse. However, building a large portfolio and even more so controlling it is a rather difficult task. This is where ETFs come to the rescue.

An Exchange Traded Fund, or ETF, is an exchange-traded investment fund, which can include stocks, bonds of many companies at once, as well as gold, oil, real estate and other valuable property. The fund buys a large, diversified portfolio of assets and then sells it piecemeal. To do this, the fund issues its own shares. That is, by purchasing one ETF share, a trader invests money in several attractive instruments at once. This option is well suited for novice investors who are not yet familiar with the market and\or do not have the funds to make their own portfolio:

#GLD, SPDR Gold Trust is part of the SPDR family of exchange-traded funds managed and marketed by State Street Global Advisors. For several years, the fund was the second largest exchange-traded fund in the world, and for a short time, the largest. Aims to match the return of the fund to the dynamics of the LBMA Gold Price PM index, minus expenses and fees.

#VOO, Vanguard S&P500 is part of the Vanguard Group, the largest provider of mutual funds and the second largest provider of exchange-traded funds. The fund's investment strategy is to follow the S&P 500 index, which includes the top 500 US companies. Therefore, this fund has a high degree of diversification within the US economy.

#IWM, iShares Russell 2000 is a set of exchange-traded funds managed by BlackRock, which acquired the brand and business from Barclays in 2009. iShares Russell 2000 aims to track the investment performance of an index comprised of small-cap US stocks. Most of the fund's assets are invested in shares of financial services, energy and healthcare companies.

#QQQ, Invesco QQQ (Power Shares Trust, Series) is an American boutique investment management firm that manages a family of exchange-traded funds. The company is part of Invesco, which has been selling the PowerShares product since 2006. PowerShares covers and simulates many market indices; for example, PowerShares QQQ (Nasdaq: QQQ) is designed to reproduce the NASDAQ-100 index. ETF is popular among stock players and is one of the most liquid stock market instruments.

#VEA, Vanguard FTSE DM is another Vanguard Group product aimed at tracking the investment performance of the FTSE Developed All Cap ex US index. This index includes about 1385 ordinary shares of companies from the developed markets of Europe, Australia, Asia, the Far East, with the exception of companies from the USA.

#SCHD, Schwab US Dividend equity — Charles Schwab Corporation is one of the largest US banking companies and one of the largest brokerage companies in the United States. The goal of the fund is to track as closely as possible, before commissions and expenses, the overall return of the Dow Jones U.S. Dividend 100. This index includes common stocks of the 100 largest US companies, with consistently high dividend yields and fundamentally strong financial performance. The fund invests at least 90% of its assets in stocks and companies included in the index.

The #USO, United States Oil Fund aims to match share price performance with USO's Benchmark Oil Futures Contract index net of costs and fees.

Detailed trading conditions can be found in the CFD Specifications.

We'd also like to remind you about newcomers in the current line of metals; our traders have already tested their strength, XAUGBP is especially popular — the most profitable deal on it was $1698. Why not update the record?

Discover brand new ways to make a profit!
Ahead of the plan: Gold passes the $2,000 threshold
[img]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/1145f7d043f3ca9a795b53abde8be879[/img]

In volatile trading on Monday, gold prices initially fell 1% but reversed course and jumped to their highest level since March 2022 at $2009,59 as investors pondered the impact of measures taken by several central banks to contain the banking crisis and stabilize global markets. financial markets.

Gold prices slipped on Tuesday ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy meeting as expectations rise that the US central bank will slow down its monetary tightening given the turmoil in the banking sector.

A pause in rate hikes could bring gold back above $2000, experts say, but it will need a lower dot chart and a dovish press conference for it to hold those gains. Despite the fact that banking regulators are rushing to strengthen market confidence, the uncertain macroeconomic environment continues to encourage purchases in gold.

Gold is considered a safe asset in times of financial uncertainty, and lower interest rates make unprofitable bars more attractive by lowering the opportunity cost of holding them.

In December last year, Bank of America analysts already predicted a rise in gold prices above $2,000, but the calculation was made for the second half of 2023.

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Slow and Steady: A Profitable Strategy for Long Term Traders
[img]https://fx-online.org/netcat_files/612/608/eb738f135056107cd8f3823fc99bb849[/img]
Dear clients,

We talk a lot about intraday, but what about those who play the long game? This time we'll be looking at some strategies for a long-term trading.

Join us on March 29 at 12:00 GMT.

During webinars, FreshForex analyst will answer your questions regarding the market situation and comment on the latest news.

Trading Signals: U.S. Crude Oil Stocks
[img]https://fx-online.org/netcat_files/612/608/9773b1209d4e5cec3f629cfcdd5fb7a9[/img]
Dear clients,

March 29 will be announced data on crude oil reserves from the US Department of Energy. Crude oil reserves of Energy Information Agency (EIA) are estimated by the weekly increase in barrels of commercial oil held by US firms. Reserve levels affect the price of petroleum products, which in turn affect inflation and other economic forces.

What data is expected this time, we will find out from our expert:

The American Petroleum Institute reported a reduction in black gold reserves in US storage facilities by 6 million barrels, which is favorable for rising oil prices. The oil market enters the "high season", when the consumption of petroleum products increases every week. Today consider buying #WTI, #BRENT, #Exxon.

Slippin' Crypto Market
[img]https://fx-online.org/netcat_files/612/608/edcb73968d16a055bb409d8c0f58c6fd[/img]
Bullish Bitcoin has been the surprise winner of the banking crisis. However, investors seeking to increase their rates are faced with a hurdle: lack of liquidity, which can cause prices to fluctuate wildly.

The price of the #1 cryptocurrency has jumped 40% to around $27,700 since March 10, when the Silicon Valley Bank bankruptcy spread to major markets. However, on the other hand, its liquidity is dwindling.

According to data provider Kaiko, Bitcoin's market depth indicates the asset is at its lowest liquidity level in 10 months, even lower than after the FTX crash in November.

Slippage, a measure of liquidity that describes how much prices move between placing and executing a trade, has also increased. Slippage when buying bitcoins for US dollars on the Coinbase exchange is 2.5 times higher than it was at the beginning of March. Slippage for a $100,000 simulated sell order has doubled in the last month, meaning the average price received per bitcoin is worse than it was a month ago.

Market makers say there is a big network effect and liquidity will remain a problem at least in the short term. The network effect was the collapse of Silvergate Capital and Signature Bank, whose networks have long been used by market makers who increase liquidity through the rapid purchase and sale of tokens for transactions on exchanges.

Further restricting liquidity, Binance — the world’s most liquid crypto exchange — last week ended zero-fee trading for almost all of its bitcoin trading pairs, hitting the ability of market makers to charge higher fees for executing trades on the platform.

The disappearing liquidity can be traced back to the collapse of the FTX exchange and the Alameda Research hedge fund. Alameda was one of the largest liquidity providers in the crypto industry and its bankruptcy left a void that was exacerbated by the 2023 banking sector turmoil.

Although most market participants expect the gradual arrival of new contenders to take over Silvergate and Signature' spot, no one expects a complete replacement to appear overnight.

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Weekly Outlook: Gold, Silver, Natural Gas
[img]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/cfc110570b8b4d08ea4cb734ab8b600c[/img]
Dear clients,

With banks falling, fuel prices soaring and inflation roaring, the markets are going full Pinball. The only safe haven so far would be precious metals. This time, we'll be looking at gold, silver and gas, current and future movements.

Join us on April 5 at 12:00 GMT.

During webinars, FreshForex analyst will answer your questions regarding the market situation and comment on the latest news.

Again with the Charts: FreshForex Forecast Contest
[img]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/63f42f9d2b0631298442d2786c170122[/img]
Dear clients,

The contest is back!

Do you have specific data, are confident in your numbers, or just want to test yourself?

From April 5 to 30, join traders on FB and test your trading instincts. The reward will be a prize of $50 to the account.

Forecasts of the first stage are accepted until April 7, 12:00 GMT.

Follow the details of the stages on our official page.

Oil Shock and Awe
[img]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/cf36420dd5d6aae67a77da84f8178de1[/img]
Dear clients,

The unexpected OPEC+ production cut on Sunday changed the oil price outlook, bringing $100 a barrel back into view.

Saudi Arabia has taken the first step by pledging to cut its supplies by 500,000 barrels a day. Other members, including Kuwait, the United Arab Emirates and Algeria, followed suit, while Russia said the production cuts it implemented from March to June would last until the end of 2023.

This is a significant decline for a market where, despite recent price fluctuations, supply was limited in the second half of the year. Oil futures rose 8% in New York on Monday, while gasoline also ramped up, adding to inflationary pressures that could force central banks around the world to keep interest rates higher for longer.

Traders were taken by surprise by the move, given that just weeks ago, senior Saudi oil official Prince Abdulaziz bin Salman insisted that OPEC+'s 2022 production quotas "are in place until the end of the year, period."

Previously, the cartel's own data suggested that the group would have to produce more oil in the second half of the year, not less. With the International Energy Agency expecting a surge in demand later this year, the risk of a new inflationary momentum for the global economy has now re-emerged.

After the decision was made, leading oil analysts started talking about oil at $100, some expect that the global balance of supply and demand will be in deficit earlier than expected. This view is reflected in Brent's increasing backwardation, with the premium for on-time deliveries rising over later deliveries, signaling tension. This view is reflected in Brent's increased backwardation, with the premium for on-time deliveries rising over later deliveries, signaling tension.

Options markets are now showing a bullish shift in sentiment. According to ICE Futures Europe, the most popular option on Brent crude over the next 12 months allows the holder to buy futures at $100, equivalent to nearly 140 million barrels of open interest.

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Choosing a quality broker like FreshForex, it has been well run for more than 5 years because it is supported by a trading platform and good facilities. There are also many facilities that can be used such as webinars, education, and a large deposit bonus  to maximize profits on a real account.

Weekly Outlook: Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple
[IMG]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/8a2dab1bce627af07f15983db5984604[/IMG]

Dear clients,

Bitcoin is surely taking ground, while Ethereum is preparing for a huge update. This time we'll be looking the cryptomarket and what to expect of it in the coming weeks.

Join us on April 12 at 12:00 GMT.

During webinars, FreshForex analyst will answer your questions regarding the market situation and comment on the latest news.
Trading Signals: US March Inflation
[IMG]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/c2fc222495b2bb9f5fc248a5506d2c0a[/IMG]
Dear clients,

A closely watched US inflation report could help address one of the most pressing questions among traders: whether the market has set the short-term path for interest rates correctly. Belief in rate cuts has driven bond yields down, supporting giant tech stocks and growth stocks that have an impact on broad stock indices.

What you can expect this month, our expert says:

Leading indicators point to declining inflation, which is negative for the dollar and positive for equity markets as the US Federal Reserve may stop raising interest rates. On Wednesday, consider buying AUDUSD, #NQ100, #SP500 and selling USDCAD, USDZAR.
"Shanghai" Noon. Major upgrade of Ethereum
[IMG]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/b71db1fbf0f85e877ec54c7bc4ae4d5b[/IMG]
Dear clients,

On April 12, the Ethereum network will undergo a technical upgrade that will allow users to withdraw tens of billions of dollars of their own Ether token. Referred to as “Shanghai”, this is a necessary step after the world’s most important crypto platform moved to a less energy-intensive process of ordering transactions. Investors affected by the recent turmoil in the crypto markets are wondering if some Ethereum holders will run when presented with the first opportunity to get their tokens out of the way.

The value of Ethereum fell during the “crypto winter” of 2022, when investors abandoned many digital assets. But the appeal of the underlying Ethereum technology has remained unchanged.

Until September 2022, Ethereum relied on a costly and energy-intensive process known as proof-of-work to order transactions. The situation changed when the technical overhaul known as the "Merge" took an alternative approach - proof-of-stake. People who put up or stake Ethereum can become “validators” of transactions on the Ethereum blockchain and receive income in return, just like deposits in a bank. As of 2020, users can stake their Ether but cannot withdraw it. "Shanghai" will allow them to take out these coins. About 16% of the total supply of Ethereum, worth about $37 billion, was stuck in the staking protocol as of early April.

It is not clear how many users will want to cash out once their Ether is unlocked. The value of the token has fluctuated wildly in the years since staking was first enabled – rising sharply as it grew in popularity among institutional and retail investors, then falling in 2022. At least initially, withdrawal demand is expected to outweigh new Ethereum staking deposits. It could take months for Ethereum holders to withdraw their coins as Ethereum has set limits to ensure that too many people do not withdraw at the same time, leaving it vulnerable to attack.

After the Merge, Ethereum attracted the attention of regulators, including the US Securities and Exchange Commission, which pointed out that some services offering income from the placement of cryptocurrencies amounted to illegal offerings of securities. An upgrade to unlock staked Ethereum may result in increased checks.

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The candle is lit! A profitable pin bar strategy

[img]https://fx-online.org/netcat_files/612/608/c9c856809c8322a97162f3b909abe5f3[/img]


Dear clients,


The beauty of a pin bar is how simple yet useful it is, always ready to reveal more. This time, we're going back to pin bar strategies.


Join us on April 19 at 12:00 GMT.


During webinars, FreshForex analyst will answer your questions regarding the market situation and comment on the latest news.

Trading Signals: U.S. Crude Oil Stocks

[img]https://fx-online.org/netcat_files/612/608/932cd4736147fe345ffb93a7701eb419[/img]


April 19 will be announced data on crude oil reserves from the US Department of Energy. Crude oil reserves of Energy Information Agency (EIA) are estimated by the weekly increase in barrels of commercial oil held by US firms. Reserve levels affect the price of petroleum products, which in turn affect inflation and other economic forces.


What data is expected this time, we will find out from our expert:


The American Petroleum Institute reported a reduction in black gold reserves in US storage facilities by 2.6 million barrels, which is favorable for rising oil prices. The oil market enters the "high season", when the consumption of petroleum products increases every week. Today consider buying #WTI, #BRENT, #Exxon.

All according to Plan




Oil prices edged up on Tuesday after falling 2% in the previous session, as stronger economic data from the world's biggest crude oil importer, China, supported the demand outlook.


Brent rose 34 cents to $85.10 a barrel at 06:18 GMT, while West Texas Intermediate got 29 cents to $81.12 a barrel.


Official data showed that China's economy grew faster than expected in the first quarter, expanding 4.5% year-on-year as policymakers seek to maintain growth after the end of tough lockdown restrictions in December.


A notable recovery in the Chinese economy has supported the recent rebound in oil prices, analysts said. In addition, May is the seasonal peak travel period in China and fuel demand is expected to increase very strongly year on year.


The International Energy Agency (IEA) predicts that China will account for most of the growth in crude oil demand in 2023.


However, the agency also warned that production cuts announced by OPEC+ producers could exacerbate the supply shortfall expected in the second half of the year and could hurt consumers and slow down the global economic recovery.


Oil prices also remain under pressure from a stronger dollar and rising Treasury yields, analysts at National Australia said in a client note.


The US dollar is strengthening along with rising interest rates, and traders are betting that the US Federal Reserve will raise the lending rate again in May, which could dampen hopes of an economic turnaround.

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News Flash! Advantages of Incorporating News Into your Trading Strategy
[IMG]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/5c94b3b9d4b989ca307657cdf3b4860c[/IMG]

Dear clients,

Unless you are insider, investor or a corporate spy, news are the primary source of information on the market. However, that's only one way to use them. This time, we'll be looking at news strategy and why you should incorporate news into your strategy.

Join us on April 26 at 12:00 GMT.

During webinars, FreshForex analyst will answer your questions regarding the market situation and comment on the latest news.

Soft Shell. Bank of Japan policy
[IMG]https://fx-online.org/netcat_files/612/608/2fc8e798ffe4e9c3c87b0f0819b6201e[/IMG]
Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda on Tuesday stressed the need to maintain a super-loose monetary policy for the time being, but pointed to the possibility of raising interest rates if inflation and wage growth exceed expectations.

“In light of the current economic, price and financial developments, it is appropriate to maintain monetary easing, which is currently being implemented through yield curve control,” Ueda told parliament.

The shape of the Japanese bond yield curve has normalized in part due to falling global yields, Ueda said in response to an opposition lawmaker's question about the drawbacks of prolonged monetary easing.

Ueda reiterated the need to maintain Japan's monetary easing in order to achieve the Bank of Japan's 2% inflation target in a sustainable and stable manner, accompanied by wage increases.

“But if wage growth and inflation accelerate faster than expected and require monetary tightening, the Bank of Japan is ready to respond, for example by raising interest rates,” the governor said.

Ueda's comments come ahead of a two-day BOJ policy meeting starting Thursday, the first meeting he has chaired since he took over the bank earlier this month.

Markets are full of speculation that Ueda will direct the Bank of Japan to phase out his predecessor Haruhiko Kuroda's massive stimulus that has drawn criticism for distorting market prices and hurting financial institutions' profits.

In a sign that he's in no rush to raise rates, Ueda said tightening monetary policy now could push down future inflation, which is already slowing amid peak import costs.
Written by code. Google's Bard Chatbot Update
[IMG]https://fx-online.org/netcat_files/612/608/1b1add5b03071bb7c54d0040b0c54fc4[/IMG]

Google said Friday it will update Bard, its generative artificial intelligence (AI) chatbot, to help people write code for software development as the tech giant seeks to catch up in the fast-paced AI technology race.

Last month, the company began publicly releasing Bard to win back ground from Microsoft Corp.

The release of ChatGPT, a chatbot from the Microsoft-backed startup OpenAI, sparked a leap in the tech sector last year to put AI in the hands of more users.

Google describes Bard as an experiment to collaborate with generative AI, a technology that relies on past data to create rather than identify content.

Bard will be able to code in 20 programming languages, including Java, C++ and Python, as well as help debug and explain code to users, Google said on Friday.

Bard can currently be accessed by a small set of users who can chat with the bot and ask questions instead of using the traditional Google search tool.

The initial launch of the product was rather unsuccessful due to mistakes and poor impression. Last week, it was reported that Samsung and Apple may be phasing out Google Search in favor of Microsoft's AI-powered Bing. This has become an additional incentive for the introduction of AI technologies in Google products.

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YELLOW SIGNAL

Why does gold continue to gain popularity?Dear clients,

Now is the best time to invest in gold, at least according to Bank of America. The dollar kept rising after the data on inflation, but is moving towards a monthly decline. Precious metals consolidated last month on "growth fears that led to higher expectations for a U.S. rate cut, lower bond yields and continued banking sector concerns," analysts said.

A weaker dollar makes bullion cheaper for foreign buyers. Due to the banking crisis and the threat of a recession, the precious metal is regarded as a reliable defensive asset.

Interest in gold is also actively shown by central banks, only last year demand grew by 20%. In fact, they account for a record 33% of monthly global demand and are buying more gold than at any time since data collection began in 1950.

The buying spree helped lift the price of gold to near-record levels and more than 50% higher than models based on real interest rates suggest. Experts see this as an attempt to get away from the dollar as the dominant currency.

The difficult macroeconomic environment makes gold one of the most reliable investments, and with a drawdown bonus 101% , it is also the most profitable.

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BEHIND THE WALLS: WALL STREET ON THE DECISION OF THE FED

Dear clients,

Wall Street was stumped by the Federal Reserve on Wednesday.

In a statement accompanying a quarter-point rate hike, the central bank ditched previous language that said "some additional policy tightening" might be warranted. Chairman Jerome Powell then said banking sector conditions had “generally improved” since early March.

But investors still had many questions. Despite Fed officials' forecasts of a mild recession, Powell expects the US economy to grow at a modest pace this year. And while he said rates are "maybe at" a fairly restrictive level, getting back to the 2% inflation target won't be a "smooth process."

As Powell spoke, the S&P 500 went up and down, then closing down 0.7%. Treasury revenues fell.

The fact that the stock market is having a hard time figuring out where to go next is evidence that this has already been priced in, experts say. Looking ahead, investors want to know what value the Fed will place on tightening lending conditions caused by stress in regional banks.

Powell's speech failed to reassure the market, investors heard what they expected, but not exactly what they wanted; the lack of clear guidance from the Fed is also worrisome. The general mood is quite calm, no revelations from Powell have been made and the situation is still developing according to market forecasts. A number of analysts note that the Fed is still set to tighten: they will need confirmation from the data that the monetary policy stance is quite restrictive.

The prospects for a pause or rate cut are viewed very cautiously, with particular attention to the possibility of a recession. At the same time, few people believe in further increases, according to analysts, this will require catastrophic inflation.

Fed futures showed that the likelihood of a rate hike in June had dropped to around 2%.

TRADING SIGNALS: US FEDERAL RESERVE MEETING

Dear clients,

On May 3, a meeting of the US Federal Reserve System, the body that performs the functions of the Central Bank of America, will take place. The decision on the interest rate will determine the further movement of the market, which draw attention of traders.

How the situation with rates will develop now, our expert tells:

The Fed may raise the rate by 0.25% and signal to the market that it will not raise the rate at the next meetings, as inflation is declining, which is favorable for economic growth. On Wednesday consider buying AUDUSD, GBPUSD, #NQ100, #SP500.

A reversal can quite shake up the market — be ready with a 300% deposit bonus! 

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GREEN HARVEST

Dear clients,

Apple Inc's results beat expectations on Thursday, demonstrating the tech giant's resilience amid the global economic slowdown, thanks to stronger-than-expected iPhone sales and notable gains in India and other emerging markets.

Shares of the largest US company by market value rose 2% after Apple beat Wall Street's earnings and profit expectations for the quarter on April 1st. The company's results contrast with disappointing performance from major chip makers due to a slower-than-expected recovery in China's economic growth.

Apple executives on Thursday said gross profit for the current quarter will be better than forecast, despite an expected drop in revenue due to the resolution of supply chain problems.

Apple said sales for its fiscal second quarter ended April 1 fell 2.5% to $94.8 billion, beating expectations for a 4.4% decline, according to data from Refinitiv. Earnings remained unchanged at $1.52 per share, compared to $1.43 per share forecast.

iPhone sales rose 1.5% to $51.3 billion, beating expectations for a 3.3% fall, even as consumers and businesses cut spending due to rising inflation. Analysts expect growth of 2.1% to $84.7 billion in the third financial quarter, which ends in June.

Apple shares outperformed most Wall Street stocks in 2023, up 28% year-to-date. Investors view the company as a protective measure during a period of economic uncertainty.

Apple raised its dividend to 24 cents per share from 23 cents a year ago. The Board authorized a $90 billion share buyback program, just as it did a year ago.

Investors are still waiting for the company's next big product. Bloomberg reported that the iPhone maker could unveil a mixed reality headset as early as next month when it holds its annual Software Developers Conference. The company recently announced new services such as a high yield savings account.

TRADING SIGNALS: THE BANK OF ENGLAND'S INTEREST RATE DECISION

Dear clients,

On May 11 the Bank of England, the key financial authority of Great Britain, will make a decision on the interest rate, which is among the most important events affecting the pound sterling quotation.

Our expert comments on how the situation with the rates develops:

The Bank of England may raise the rate by 0.25% and signal to the market the need for further interest rate hikes at the summer meetings due to high inflation in the United Kingdom economy. On Thursday consider buying GBPJPY, GBPUSD, GBPCHF.

On any twists and turns, confidently keep your balance with a drawdown bonus 101%! 

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ELECTIONS IN TURKEY
12 May 2023

Elections in TurkeyDear traders!

We would like to draw your attention to the fact that presidential elections in Turkey will be held on May 14, 2023. This event may provoke a sharp increase in volatility of Turkish Lira instruments and, as a consequence, lead to increased trading risks.

As we care about our clients, we strongly recommend all traders to be more attentive and also:

Maintain a margin level of at least 500%;
Use protective Stop-loss orders;
to adjust the volume of current open positions at their own discretion, if necessary.

It should be noted that in case of significant increase of volatility on financial markets with changing conditions at the liquidity providers of the company the following is possible: increase of spreads and levels of orders setting, change of margin requirements for any instruments both for previously opened positions and for new ones, introduction of "Close only" mode or suspension of trading in accordance with the regulatory documents of the company.

Please consider this information when planning work on the financial markets.

DOWNWARD SPIRAL. A LONG DROP IN OIL PRICES


A long drop in oil pricesDear clients,

Oil prices fell Friday, setting a fourth weekly decline, as renewed economic troubles in the U.S. and China revived worries about fuel demand growth in the world's two largest oil consumers.

Brent crude futures fell 48 cents, or 0.64%, to $74.50 a barrel by 06:35 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate, on the other hand, lost 39 cents, or 0.55%, to $70.48.

Both benchmarks will fall about 1.1% over the week, marking the longest streak of weekly declines since November 2021.

With negotiations over the U.S. government debt ceiling deadlocked and renewed fears that another regional bank is in crisis, fears that the U.S. will enter a recession are growing. A decline in new corporate loans in China and weaker economic data released there earlier in the week raised doubts again about the stimulation of oil demand growth as the country recovers from COVID restrictions.

The price rose earlier Friday, after falling during the previous two sessions, on some demand expectations following comments from the U.S. Secretary of Energy that the States might buy oil for the Strategic Petroleum Reserve (SPR). The U.S. government has said it will buy oil when prices are at or below $67-72 a barrel at all times.

However, negotiations to raise the $31.4 trillion U.S. federal debt limit may not reach an agreement in time to prevent a default on the national debt, which could cause serious market turmoil. China's consumer price data for April rose slower than expected and factory price deflation has deepened, suggesting more stimulus is needed.

The oil market largely ignored the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) global oil demand forecast for 2023, which projected demand growth in China, the world's biggest oil importer.

HERE WE GO AGAIN: THREATS TO THE TECHNOLOGY SECTOR

Dear clients,

A prolonged period of economic downturn in the U.S. will cause tech stocks to plummet at a time when they are attracting a lot of investor money, strategists at Bank of America Corp. say.

Michael Hartnett's team expects the recession to "crack credit and tech" just as it did in 2008, according to Friday's note.

Investors poured $3.8 billion into technology stocks in the week ended May 10, the largest inflow since December 2021, BofA reported, citing data from EPFR Global. On the other hand, $2.1 billion was pulled out of financial stocks, the biggest buyout since May 2022, amid turmoil at regional U.S. banks.

The tech-heavy Nasdaq 100 index is up 22% this year as investors expect the Federal Reserve to begin easing monetary policy soon, easing pressure on the rate-sensitive sector. And while earnings in this sector will continue to fall from last year, traders already expect a recovery in 2024.

Hartnett, who correctly predicted last year that recession fears would cause stocks to pull back, warned that the U.S. central bank was unlikely to pause rate hikes amid high inflation, as well as low unemployment and presidential approval. That echoes the views of Bloomberg Intelligence strategists, who view the likelihood of weakening tech, media and telecom stocks as they "face the reality of longer-term interest rate hikes and a softening of the earnings outlook."

Hartnett thinks negative wage data will be a buying signal for cyclical economic-related stocks, such as tech stocks, in 2023. The U.S. labor market has proven resilient, with hiring and worker wage growth accelerating in April.

Other notable flows over the past week included a slowdown in cash inflows - $13.8 billion went into that asset class. At the same time, Treasuries saw the largest inflows in the past six weeks, with $6.3 billion. U.S. and European equity funds bought $2.7 billion and $2.2 billion each, respectively.

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"EVERY BIT HELPS". RECORD PERFORMANCE OF US TREASURIES

Dear clients,

Foreign buying of US Treasury bonds in March rose to the highest level in more than two years, Treasury Department data showed on Monday, as investors bought government debt amid bank stress during the month.

US Treasuries rose to $7.573 trillion in March, up about $230 billion from $7.343 trillion the previous month. Monthly Treasury bond accumulation in March was the highest since June 2021, analysts at TD Securities said.

According to the cited data, March was particularly significant as it was a time of volatility in the banking sector. The most interesting point was the huge amount of treasury bond purchases. Investors were de-risking at the time because of banking stress. There was a lot of buying on the Chinese side, a lot of buying on the Japanese side. There were interesting purchases from the UK side or via the UK, indicating purchases by hedge funds.

The benchmark 10-year Treasury yield started March at 3.996%, falling by 50 basis points to 3.49% by the end of the month. In October last year the yield on 10-year US Treasuries reached a 15-month high of 4.338%.

Foreign inflows into Treasuries were $35.8bn per trade in March, up from $57.6bn in the previous month. US equities were also bought by foreigners, with inflows of $36.1bn following net sales of $16.2bn in February and outflows of $27.5bn in January.

US residents, meanwhile, increased their holdings of long-term foreign securities, with net purchases of $22.8bn compared with net sales of $8.3bn in February.

Overall, net purchases of long-term overseas securities totaled $133.3bn in March, up sharply from February's inflow of $56.6bn, the data showed.

PLATINUM DROUGHT

Dear clients,

Rising demand from automakers, industry and investors will push the global platinum market into the biggest deficit in years, three industry reports predict.

The reports highlight the changing fortunes of platinum and its cognate metal palladium, which are used mainly in vehicle exhausts to help neutralise harmful engine emissions. For many years, growing demand and shortages of palladium have pushed prices upwards, while low consumption and a more abundant supply of platinum have kept prices low.

Two reports released on Monday suggest that if palladium remains in short supply this year, the platinum supply shortfall will be greater. Automakers are switching from palladium to platinum as a cost-saving measure, heavy-duty vehicles with a high platinum content are on the rise, while zero-emission electric cars are making their way into the palladium-focused light vehicle market. Platinum is also being supported by industrial and jewellery consumption, while palladium demand is almost entirely dependent on the automobile sector.

The World Platinum Investment Council forecast a platinum deficit of 983,000 oz, the highest since the 1970s, following last year's surplus of 854,000 oz.

Meanwhile, net platinum holdings in the ETF increased by 43,000 ounces in Q1 '23, reversing six previous quarters of net disinvestment. The board believes that the revised 2023 deficit forecast of almost 1 million ounces based on historical data is likely to attract additional investor interest in bullion and coins as well as physical asset-backed ETFs.

FOR A RAINY DAY. HOW WALL STREET IS PREPARING FOR A POSSIBLE DEFAULT

Dear clients,

As negotiations to raise the debt ceiling of the USD 31.4 trillion government debt intensify, Wall Street banks and asset managers have started to prepare for the consequences of a possible default.

The financial industry has prepared for such a crisis before, most recently in September 2021. But this time, the relatively short timeframe for a compromise has bankers on their guard, said one senior industry official.

US government bonds underpin the global financial system, so it is difficult to fully assess the damage a default would cause, but executives expect strong volatility in equity, debt and other markets.

The ability to trade in and out of treasury bonds on the secondary market will be severely limited. Even a short-term breach of the debt ceiling could lead to a spike in interest rates, a plunge in equity prices and a breach of credit documentation and leverage agreements.

Banks, brokers and trading platforms are preparing for disruptions in the treasury market as well as wider volatility.

This typically includes planning for how payments in treasury securities will be made; how the critical funding markets will react; ensuring there is sufficient technology, staffing and cash to handle large trading volumes; and checking the potential impact on contracts with clients.

Large bond investors have warned that maintaining a high level of liquidity is important in order to withstand potential sharp fluctuations in asset prices and avoid having to sell at the most inopportune time.

The Securities Industry and Financial Markets Association (SIFMA), a leading industry group, developed an action plan that details what Treasury bond market participants — the Federal Reserve Bank of New York, the Fixed Income Clearing Corporation (FICC), clearing banks and Treasury bond dealers — should do in the run-up to and on the days of a possible Treasury bond payment miss.

SIFMA considered several scenarios. The most likely scenario is that the Treasury would buy time to pay bondholders by announcing on the eve of the payment that it would reschedule these securities, extending them one day at a time. This would allow the market to continue functioning, but no interest would likely accrue on the deferred payment.

In the most destructive scenario, the Treasury does not pay any principal or coupon and does not extend the maturity date. The outstanding bonds would no longer be tradable and could not be transferred through the Fedwire Securities Service, which is used to hold, transfer and settle Treasury bonds.

Each scenario is likely to cause significant operational problems and will require daily manual adjustments to trading and settlement processes.

In addition, in past periods of confrontation over the debt ceiling issue — in 2011 and 2013 — Fed staff and policymakers developed their plan, which is likely to serve as a starting point, with the last and most sensitive step being the complete removal of defaulted securities from the market.

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5 MINUTE BREAKTHROUGH: A PROFITABLE STARTING STRATEGY

Dear clients,

What can you do in a mere 5 minutes? Hit the restroom, have a smoke or... make a profit. This time, we'll be looking at a simple trading strategy fit for both newcomers and experienced traders.

Join us on May 24 at 12:00 GMT.

During webinars, FreshForex analyst will answer your questions regarding the market situation and comment on the latest news.

If you missed the previous webinars, you can always find them here. 

NEW TRICKS OF THE OLD CRYPTO

Dear clients,

According to Glassnode, daily transactions hit an all-time high of 682,000 this month, up almost 40% from the previous peak in 2017. Bitcoin's dominance, or share of the total $1.16 trillion cryptocurrency market, has risen to 44% from 38% at the start of the year.

This is due to BRC-20, the first class of cryptocurrency tokens created on the bitcoin blockchain apart from bitcoin itself. Nearly 25,000 experimental coins have already been minted this year, leading to a surge in transactions.

Mostly due to the creation of these tokens, the average daily transaction volume in seven days was more than 531,000, almost double what it was a month ago, according to Blockchain.com.

This new class of cryptocurrency has no specific use beyond speculation, much like memecoins. However, its nascent popularity points to interest in bitcoin not just as a store of value or a payment method, but also as a basis for developing new coins and applications - previously considered the domain of more modern blockchains such as Ethereum and Solana.

Some investors and developers see bitcoin blockchain as a safer long-term basis for creating tokens and applications amid the cryptocurrency carnage that has followed the collapse of high-profile companies such as FTX and a general flight away from risky assets, market participants say.

Nevertheless, the excitement around BRC-20 has been volatile. The total value of these tokens, which are typically traded on secondary markets, especially on decentralised exchanges, surpassed $1bn in early May, but has since fallen to $446m, according to tracker BRC-20.io.

Because the bitcoin blockchain was not originally designed to support the crypto ecosystem, unlike Ethereum and Solana, BRC-20 tokens are created using ordinar theory, which allows data to be written on each satoshi - the smallest bitcoin denomination, or hundred-millionth of a bitcoin.

The race to create these new coins has had little impact on the price of bitcoin, which has been trading below $30,000 since mid-April. However, experts see this trend as "promising" in terms of interest in creating products on the bitcoin blockchain.

ONE STEP BEHIND. THE AI LEGISLATION

Dear clients,

As the race to develop more powerful artificial intelligence services such as ChatGPT accelerates, some regulators are still relying on old laws to control a technology that could change the way society and business operate.

The European Union is at the forefront of developing new rules for AI that could become a global benchmark to address the privacy and security concerns raised by the rapid development of generative AI technology underpinning OpenAI's ChatGPT. However, it will take several years for the legislation to take effect.

"In the absence of regulations, the only thing governments can do is to apply existing rules," experts say. "If it's about protecting personal data, they apply data protection laws, if it's about threatening people's security, there are rules that have not been specifically defined for AI, but they still apply."

In April, European national privacy regulators set up a task force to tackle ChatGPT after Italian regulator Garante pulled the service offline, accusing OpenAI of violating the EU's GDPR, a wide-ranging privacy regime adopted in 2018. ChatGPT was reinstated after the US company agreed to install age verification features and allowed European users to block their information from being used to train AI models.

Generative AI models have become well known for making mistakes, or 'hallucinations', providing misinformation with supernatural certainty.

Such errors can have serious consequences. If a bank or government department uses AI to speed up decision-making, people could be unfairly denied credit or benefits. Major technology companies, including Google and Microsoft Corp, have stopped using AI products considered ethically questionable, such as financial products.

US and European experts say regulators intend to apply existing rules covering everything from copyright and data privacy to two key aspects: the data entering models and the content they produce.

While regulators adapt to the pace of technological advances, some in the industry are calling for more engagement with corporate leaders. Dialogue between regulators and companies has so far been "limited", they say.

"This does not bode well for the future," they say. "Regulators seem either slow or unwilling to adopt approaches that strike the right balance between consumer protection and business growth."

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CHIPPIN' IN: NVIDIA'S POWER BOOST

Dear clients,

Nvidia Corp on Wednesday forecast second-quarter revenue more than 50 percent above Wall Street forecasts and said it was increasing shipments to meet growing demand for its artificial intelligence chips, which are used to run ChatGPT and many similar services.

Shares in Nvidia, the world's most expensive semiconductor company, soared 28 per cent after the signal to a record high of $391.50. That boosted the market value of Nvidia stock by about $200 billion to more than $950 billion, extending the Silicon Valley-based company's lead as the world's most expensive chip maker and the fifth most valuable company on Wall Street.

Nvidia is forecasting revenue of $11bn for the current quarter, with analysts polled by Refinitiv citing a figure of $7.15bn. They note that amid a gold rush of generative artificial intelligence, demand for Nvidia chips is secure for the rest of the year.

Adjusted revenue for the quarter ended April 30 was $7.19bn on revenue expectations of $6.52bn. The company's data centre chip sales were $4.28bn, beating analysts' forecasts of $3.89bn, according to FactSet.

Nvidia faces competition in AI chips from traditional rivals such as Advanced Micron Devices Inc and Intel Corp, as well as from startups such as Cerebras Systems and its own AI chip efforts at companies such as Google and Amazon.

According to FactSet, revenue from gaming chip sales exceeded Wall Street expectations, coming in at $2.24 billion against forecasts of $1.97 billion. Net income rose to $2.04 billion, or 82 cents per share, from $1.62 billion, or 64 cents per share, a year earlier. Excluding items, the company earned $1.09 per share in the first quarter, beating estimates of 92 cents.

THE STRUGGLE FOR DEPENDENCY. OPENAI AND EU CONFLICT

Dear clients,

Sam Altman, CEO of OpenAI, has spent the last week travelling around Europe, meeting leading politicians in France, Spain, Poland, Germany and the UK to discuss the future of AI and the progress of ChatGPT. On Wednesday, he warned that the company could leave the EU if the bloc becomes "over-regulated".

By February, ChatGPT had set a record for the fastest user base growth of any consumer app in history. More than six months after OpenAI unveiled its AI-powered chatbot to the world, concerns about its potential sparked excitement and anxiety - and led to conflict with regulators.

"The current EU bill on artificial intelligence would be over-regulatory, but we have heard that it is going to be pushed back," Altman said on Wednesday. EU lawmakers responsible for drafting the AI law have disputed Altman's claims. EU industry chief Thierry Breton also criticised the threat, saying the draft rules were non-negotiable. Dutch MEP Kim van Sparrentak, who also worked on the EU bill, said she and her colleagues "should not allow themselves to be blackmailed by US companies".

"If OpenAI cannot meet the basic requirements of data management, transparency, security and protection, then their systems are not suitable for the European market," she said.

OpenAI first clashed with regulators in March, when Italian data regulator Garante shut down the app domestically, accusing OpenAI of breaching European privacy rules. ChatGPT returned to the web after the company introduced new privacy protections for users.

Meanwhile, EU lawmakers have made new proposals to the Artificial Intelligence Act, which would oblige companies using generative tools such as ChatGPT to disclose all copyrighted material used to train systems. EU parliamentarians agreed a draft law earlier this month. Member states, the European Commission and Parliament will finalise the final details of the bill.

The departure of OpenAI is seen as an unlikely outcome as the European market is too valuable economically. Experts note that some legislative relieves are still possible, but the overall trajectory has already been set.

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UNPAUSABLE. FUTURE OF FED RATES

Dear clients,

Federal Reserve policymakers received a dose of unexpectedly strong US economic data on Friday, which bolstered the case for further monetary policy tightening to reduce persistently high inflation.

A 0.8% rise in consumer spending last month compared with March was good news, showing that the economy is not on the brink of recession, but discomfort for policymakers waiting for a slowdown that could ease rising pressure on prices. And the increase in core inflation to 4.7%, up from 4.6% in March, underlined the Fed's less-than-steady progress in fighting inflation. The US central bank's inflation target is 2%.

Combined with seemingly some progress on a deal to raise the debt ceiling and avert a catastrophic US default, the latest data raises doubts that the Fed will indeed "pause" its campaign to raise rates, as Chairman Jerome Powell signalled earlier this month.

Interest rate futures traders are seeing less subtlety in the numbers and are now expecting an 11th consecutive interest rate hike in June, a reversal of the June pause bets made after the last hike on May 3.

Next month's rate hike is not a definitive decision: Key labour market data from next Friday and fresh inflation data expected on 13 June are still to be announced before the Fed meeting on 13-14 June. However, there are growing expectations that even if the Fed leaves rates unchanged in June, it will hit the brakes in July. In the futures markets the odds are three to one in favour of a rate hike until then.

Fed Governor Christopher Waller — one of the Fed's most hawkish voices — made this point earlier last week. He said that while key data in the coming weeks as well as uncertainty over credit conditions could support a temporary rate halt, the lack of progress on inflation points to the need for further tightening.

BIG AND TECH. S&P 500' FINEST

Dear clients,

Never before in the history of US equities has a small group of companies from one industry had such an impact on the entire market. Six companies — Apple, Microsoft, Alphabet, Amazon, Nvidia and Meta Platforms — now have a combined valuation of around $10 trillion and account for more than a quarter of the total market capitalisation of the S&P 500.

All of these stocks have doubled in value in 2023 — and Nvidia and Meta more than doubled — thanks to the dawn of artificial intelligence and expectations that the Federal Reserve will soon halt interest rate hikes. The benchmark index is up 8% in 2023, but its return is down to just 2% if technology companies are excluded. The S&P 500 is also well behind the technology-heavy Nasdaq Composite, which has entered bull market territory, jumping 22% this year.

Historically, it is rare for a handful of stocks from one sector to make up such a large proportion of the S&P 500. The last time the five largest valuation companies accounted for a quarter of the total market value of the index was in the 1960s, according to Schroders. It is also the first time in history that all five of the largest publicly listed companies represent the same industry.

However, this is not all good news for investors.

It is tempting to view the dominance of the technology sector as a good thing. But single-industry stocks tend to be vulnerable to the same macroeconomic factors — such as rising interest rates, which often hit technology stocks harder than other companies because they are more reliant on borrowing cash.

The overall size of the S&P 500 market is so concentrated around technology companies that it is more vulnerable to sharp price swings than before, Minerva Analysis said. When there is a narrow group of leaders, there is a big risk if something bad happens to technology. If interest rates rise to 7%, it will be bad news for the whole market.

So while the tech giants have provided a surprise rally in equities in 2023, their rising market capitalisation could end up being more of a curse than a blessing for investors.

TRADER' STARTER PACK

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THE RISING SUN OF THE MARKET
[img]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/0cef1f66ac8c360e6928e6be4c67e01c[/img]
Dear clients,

As Japanese equities have unexpectedly come back into fashion with global investors, analysts at leading Wall Street investment banks are predicting further gains in the country's major indices.

Japan's Topix index (Tokyo Price Index) has reached new highs in the last two weeks, and on Monday it recorded its highest level since July 1990.

It has jumped 14% since the start of this year, recently fuelled by optimism from the tentative debt ceiling deal reached between US President Joe Biden and House Speaker Kevin McCarthy, along with momentum from a weaker yen. Meanwhile, the Nikkei 225 continues to rise, gaining around 20% over the past year.

The start of an inflationary regime, combined with Tokyo Stock Exchange valuation reforms, will see Japanese equities hit record highs as early as the first half of 2025, according to BofA Securities.

BofA's forecasts echo those of other Wall Street firms, which see further room for a rally in Japanese equities. Heightened interest from foreign investors, strong earnings and a weak yen should continue to support growth in the Topix index. Disappointment with the Chinese economy and Warren Buffett's recent interest in the Japanese market are also cited as motivators.

While equities may face headwinds in the near term, the BofA said there is "no need to take a bearish stance if the market rallies in line with fundamentals". The current investment environment remains favourable following the opening of the economy and stronger inflation.

The rush in Japanese equities reached a record high on Wednesday amid a continued surge in foreign demand for the country's shares and an adjustment in positions ahead of the rebalancing of the MSCI equity index.

The value of shares traded on the Tokyo Stock Exchange's Prime Market index reached an unprecedented level of nearly 7 trillion yen ($50 billion) on May 31. Finance Ministry data on Thursday showed foreign investors were net buyers of Japanese shares for nine consecutive weeks in the period ended May 26, the longest buying period since November 2019.

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TRADING SIGNALS: NFP FOR MAY
[img]https://freshforex.com/netcat_files/2236/3069/bedc58ed2903a41d9fc571eda2d0d08a[/img]
Dear clients,

On June 2, the Non-farm Payroll, a measure of US industrial employment, is expected to be published. The report greatly influences the movement of American dollar and related instruments.

We will find out what figures are expected this time from our expert:

Falling unemployment claims and rising employment in services - the lion's share of the US economy - are indicative of positive Non-Farm Employment data, which is favourable for the dollar's strength. On Friday, consider buying USDTRY, USDZAR, USDCAD, USDCHF.

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ONE LESS THING TO WORRY ABOUT. THE GROWTH OF OIL

Dear clients,

Oil prices rose on Thursday by the largest amount in a fortnight ahead of the OPEC+ meeting on Sunday, while the passage of a bill to suspend the US debt ceiling by the House of Representatives helped offset the impact of rising stocks in the country.

US West Texas Intermediate crude rose $2.01, or 3 per cent, to settle at $70.10 a barrel, recording its biggest daily gain since May 5. Brent crude futures rose $1.68, or 2.3%, to $74.65 a barrel, the biggest daily gain since May 17.

Both benchmarks recovered after two consecutive sessions of declines after the House of Representatives passed a bill late on Wednesday night to suspend the US government debt ceiling and improve the chances of preventing a default. The bill now moves to the Senate.

Market attention has shifted to the OPEC+ meeting on 4 June. Sources within the organisation said the alliance was unlikely to deepen supply cuts at Sunday's meeting, but some analysts believe this is possible as demand figures in China and the US have been disappointing in recent weeks.

US crude inventories rose unexpectedly last week as imports jumped and strategic stocks fell to their lowest level since September 1983, according to the Energy Information Administration.

Data from China's manufacturing sector presented a mixed picture, with Thursday's Caixin/S&P Global manufacturing PMI better than expected, while official government data from the previous day reported that activity at firms in May contracted to its lowest level in five months.

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TRADING SIGNALS: US FEDERAL RESERVE MEETING

Dear clients,

On June 14, a meeting of the US Federal Reserve System, the body that performs the functions of the Central Bank of America, will take place. The decision on the interest rate will determine the further movement of the market, which draw attention of traders.

How the interest rate situation will develop now, our expert explain:

The Fed may keep the rate at the current level of 5.25% amid falling inflation in the US economy, but will lower GDP forecasts for the next two years and also signal to traders that they should not expect interest rates to fall in the second half of the year, as inflation risks have not gone anywhere. On Wednesday consider buying USDTRY, USDZAR and selling #NQ100, #SP500, #Coinbase.

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PER ASPERA: RECORD PERFORMANCE BY THE NASDAQ AND S&P500

Dear clients,

On Monday the S&P 500 and Nasdaq rose to their highest closing levels since April 2022, while Oracle hit a record high ahead of quarterly results as investors await inflation data and the Federal Reserve's interest rate decision this week. Thanks to gains by market heavyweights Amazon, Apple and Tesla, the S&P 500 has now recovered 21% from its October 2022 lows. Some investors say Wall Street is in the midst of a bull market.

Tesla is up 2.2% and has now risen for 12 consecutive trading sessions, a record for the electric car maker.

Apple and Microsoft are up about 1.5% each, and the two tech companies' shares have gained 41% and 38% year-to-date respectively.

The S&P 500 rose 0.93% to end the session at 4,338.93 points.

The Nasdaq rose 1.53% to 13,461.92 points and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.56% to 34,066.33 points.

Rising shares of the biggest companies, better-than-expected quarterly earnings and hopes that the Fed is nearing the end of its monetary tightening cycle have lifted the indices in recent weeks.

The recent rally has widened to include more sensitive sectors such as energy and industrials, as well as small-company stocks, as data continues to suggest the US economy is resilient despite higher interest rates.

0 OR 1? FORECASTS ABOUT THE FED'S UPCOMING RATES

Dear clients,

The US Federal Reserve will not raise interest rates for the first time in more than a year at its June 13-14 meeting, according to economists polled by Reuters, but a significant minority expect at least one more rate hike this year as the economy remains resilient.

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell signalled in May that the US central bank may soon pause its rate hike cycle to assess the impact of a historically aggressive 500 basis point tightening, raising rates at every meeting since March 2022.

More than 90% of economists, 78 out of 86 surveyed from 2-7 June, believe the Federal Open Market Committee will hold the federal funds rate at 5.00%-5.25% at the end of next week's meeting. The remaining eight expect a 25 basis point rate hike.

Since the last Fed meeting in May, strong economic data and comments from several Fed officials have prompted markets to assume a rate hike at or before the July 25-26 meeting, with previous expectations of a rate cut later this year quickly easing.

This hawkish change in market expectations has helped lift the US dollar to its highest level since March.

The problem is that inflation is not falling fast enough — in April it was 4.4% on the Fed's preferred target and 4.7% excluding volatile food and energy prices. The central bank's inflation target is 2%.

More than a third of survey participants, 32 of 86, believe the Fed will raise rates at least once more this year, including eight who say it will happen in June and 24 who expect a rate hike in July after a pause. Only one predicts a rate hike in both June and July.

Just over 25% of economists, 23 out of 86, predict at least one Fed rate cut before the end of 2023, but this is down from 28% in the previous survey. Markets estimate the probability of a rate cut this year at around 60%.

Less than 60% of respondents to an additional question, 28 of 48, said the world's biggest economy will fall into recession this year, down from more than 70% in a survey conducted just a few weeks ago.

BINANCIAL STRUGGLE

Dear clients,

Investors withdrew about $1.43 billion from cryptocurrency exchange Binance and its US subsidiary as of 11am Eastern Time (1500 GMT) on Tuesday, data provider Nansen reported, a day after a leading US regulator sued both exchanges.

Binance recorded a net outflow of $1.34 billion in cryptocurrency tokens on the ethereum blockchain, while its US subsidiary, Binance.US, recorded a net outflow of $70.8 million, Nansen said on Twitter.

On Monday, the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) sued Binance, its CEO Changpeng Zhao and operator Binance.US over what it called a "web of deception" to circumvent US laws.

In 13 charges, the SEC alleges that Binance artificially inflated trading volumes, diverted customer funds, failed to restrict US customers' access to its platform and misled investors about market controls.

The lawsuit is the SEC's most significant move against a cryptocurrency company in a major crackdown on the industry this year.

Binance says it is cooperating with the SEC and is "making every effort to answer their questions and address their concerns", including trying to reach a negotiated settlement. "We intend to vigorously defend our platform," the company said in a blog post.

The SEC complaint is the latest in a string of legal challenges for Binance. In March, the US Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC) sued the company for operating an "illegal" exchange and a "bogus" compliance programme.

Zhao said the CFTC's claims were an "incomplete statement of facts".

Another major exchange has encountered similar problems. The SEC filed a lawsuit against Coinbase, accusing it of operating illegally without registering with the regulator. In a complaint filed in federal court in Manhattan on Tuesday, the SEC said Coinbase had been operating as an unregistered broker since at least 2019, conducting cryptocurrency transactions while evading disclosure requirements designed to protect investors.

Global regulators are keeping a close eye on the cryptocurrency world after a series of high-profile crashes wiped out more than a trillion dollars from the market capitalisation of the digital asset industry last year.

Bitcoin has stabilised after yesterday's drop of more than 5 %, its biggest daily drop since 19 April. The world's biggest cryptocurrency last stood at $26,300, up 3.85 per cent for the day.

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BREAK TILL DAWN. FED RATE PAUSE

Dear clients,

The US Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, but made it clear in new forecasts that borrowing costs may have to rise by half a percentage point by the end of this year as the US central bank responded to a stronger-than-expected economy and a slower decline in inflation.

In a press conference at the end of the central bank's latest meeting, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said that US economic and labour market growth was better than expected under the weight of aggressive monetary tightening last year, which will likely lengthen the Fed's fight to reduce inflation, but also allow it to pass with less economic damage.

According to Powell, the pause was made out of caution to allow the Fed to gather more information before determining whether to raise rates again, with the pace of rate hikes now less important than finding the right endpoint that will slow price growth while minimising unemployment growth.

After a year in which many economists and analysts argued that recession was inevitable and the economy was about to crack, according to the Fed's latest quarterly outlook "growth estimates have gone up slightly, unemployment estimates have gone down slightly, inflation estimates have gone up," Powell said.

The Fed's rate hike coincides with an improved view of the economy and hence slower progress in returning inflation to the central bank's 2% target. It is currently more than double that target.

Wednesday's decision interrupted a string of 10 consecutive rate hikes adopted by the Fed in response to the worst inflation outbreak in 40 years with a corresponding set of aggressive moves, including four excessive hikes of three-quarters of a percentage point last year.

A WAY FORWARD. ECB RATE HIKES

Dear clients,

The European Central Bank on Thursday raised the eurozone's borrowing costs to their highest level in 22 years and said that stubbornly high inflation almost guarantees another hike next month and probably beyond.

The quarter percentage point increase was the ECB's eighth consecutive interest rate hike since it badly miscalculated the sustainability of price growth early last year, bringing its policy rate to 3.5 per cent, a level not seen since 2001.

This came at the same time as confirmation that the ECB is winding down its remaining post-crisis stimulus programmes and an unexpectedly sharp increase in core inflation forecasts by bank staff.

"Unless there are significant changes to our baseline forecasts, it is very likely that we will continue to raise rates in July," ECB President Christine Lagarde told a news conference.

The central bank of the 20 euro-sharing countries also said it now expects inflation to remain above the 2% target by the end of 2025.

The bank raised its forecasts for "core" inflation for 2023 and 2024, excluding volatile energy and food, which the ECB monitors closely. Lagarde also issued her strongest warning yet on rising wages and companies pushing up prices.

Inflation in the eurozone has been falling for months, thanks to lower energy prices and the sharpest rate hike in the ECB's 25-year history. However, it remains unacceptably high for the ECB at 6.1% and underlying price growth is just starting to slow down despite signs of stagnant economic growth.

Although opposing economic factors have likely served as weapons for both sides in the ECB Governing Council, the hawkish majority that insists on further rate hikes remains at the helm.

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AN ENCORE: THE HOTTEST PROMOTIONS MUST GO ON!

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THE UPSIDE GAME. BUILDING GROWTH OF OIL PRICES

Dear clients,

Oil prices rose on Tuesday as markets weighed on supply cuts in August by leading exporters Saudi Arabia and Russia amid an uncertain global economic outlook.

Brent crude futures were up 34 cents, or 0.46 per cent, to $74.99 a barrel by 0618 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude was at $70.12 a barrel, up 33 cents, or 0.47%.

Saudi Arabia on Monday said it would extend a voluntary production cut of 1 million barrels per day (bpd) until August, the kingdom's state news agency said. Russia will also cut oil exports by 500,000 bpd in August, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said.

The cuts would amount to 1.5% of global supply and bring the total number of cuts promised by OPEC+ oil producers to 5.16 million bpd, as Riyadh and Moscow seek to support prices.

US crude stocks were expected to fall by around 1.8m barrels in the week to 30 June, marking the third consecutive week of decline. Industrial stockpile data will be released on Wednesday and official data on Thursday, both of which will be delayed by a day due to a US holiday.

On the macroeconomic front, analysts' forecasts were mixed after business surveys showed a decline in global manufacturing activity due to sluggish demand in China and Europe, and US manufacturing activity fell further in June, reaching levels last seen during the initial wave of the COVID-19 pandemic.

WRITE CLUB. NEW MESSENGER FROM META

Dear clients,

Mark Zuckerberg on Wednesday directly challenged Twitter with the Threads service, amassing millions of users in a matter of hours, as it seeks to take advantage of the position of its competitor, which is in a significantly weakened state after a series of chaotic decisions by its owner Elon Musk.

"Let's do this. Welcome to Threads," Zuckerberg wrote in his first message on the app, along with a fiery emoji. According to him, 5 million people signed up to the app in the first four hours. Analysts say Threads' tie-up with Instagram could give it a built-in user base and advertising machine. This could siphon off advertising dollars from Twitter at a time when its new CEO is trying to revive its struggling business.

Although Threads launched as a standalone app, users can log in using their Instagram credentials and follow the same accounts, potentially making it an easy addition to the existing habits of Instagram's more than 2 billion monthly active users. According to experts, investors can't help but get excited at the prospect of Meta actually having a "Twitter killer".

Like Twitter, the app contains short text messages that users can tag, repost and reply to, although it does not have the ability to send direct messages. Messages can be up to 500 characters long and include links, photos and videos lasting up to five minutes, according to Meta's blog.

Meta shares rose 3% on Wednesday ahead of the launch, outpacing the rise of rival tech companies.

BITCOIN SUPPORT FUND

Dear clients,

Bitcoin reached its highest level in 13 months on Thursday, rising 3.28% to $31,500.

The world's largest cryptocurrency recently found support thanks to plans by fund managers, including BlackRock — the world's largest asset manager — to launch a US-registered spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF).

Nasdaq has reapplied to list BlackRocks' ETF, according to a statement released on Monday, after the US securities regulator raised concerns about the initial applications.

The US Securities and Exchange Commission has rejected about 30 applications for exchange-traded funds over the past decade. However the BlackRock Inc. initiative has ignited interest, and a flurry of new applications and amendments to existing offerings has followed.

TRADING SIGNALS: NFP FOR JUNE

Dear clients,

On July 7, the Non-farm Payroll, a measure of US industrial employment, is expected to be published. The report greatly influences the movement of American dollar and related instruments.

We will find out what figures are expected this time from our expert:

Strong employment growth in the service sector — the biggest contributor to the US economy — signals positive Non-Farm Employment data, which is favourable for the American dollar and negative for equity indices, as it leaves the Fed with no choice but to continue its policy of raising interest rates. On Friday consider buying USDZAR, USDCHF and selling AUDUSD, XAUUSD, #SP500, #NQ100.

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DEEP DIVE. THE DOLLAR'S BIGGEST DROP IN A YEAR

Dear clients,

The dollar fell to its lowest level in more than a year on Wednesday after data showed U.S. consumer price growth slowed in June, indicating the Federal Reserve may raise interest rates only one more time this year.

The dollar index fell to 100.54, the lowest since April 2022, and was last down 1% to 100.55, the biggest daily decline since early February.

Following the inflation report, the dollar also hit its lowest against the Swiss franc since early 2015. It was last down 1.3% to 0.8675 francs, having previously fallen to a session low of 0.8660, the lowest since the Swiss National Bank de-pegged the Swiss currency in January 2015.

Data showed that U.S. core consumer prices rose just 0.2% in June, compared with forecasts for a 0.3% rise. The monthly increase in core prices was the smallest since August 2021. On an annualized basis, the core U.S. CPI rose 4.8%, below market expectations for a 5% increase. It was the lowest annualized gain in more than two years.

U.S. rate futures continue to show traders overwhelmingly expect a quarter-point increase in the discount rate, to the 5.25%-5.5% range, at the Fed's July 25-26 meeting, but the probability of another rate hike before the end of the year is now around 25%, down from around 35% before the report.

CHALLENGE ACCEPTED. A TECH STARTUP FROM ELON MUSK

Dear clients,

Billionaire entrepreneur Elon Musk launched his long-sought artificial intelligence startup xAI on Wednesday, unveiling a team made up of engineers from the very large U.S. tech companies he hopes to challenge in his quest to create an alternative to ChatGPT.

The startup will be led by Musk himself, who has repeatedly stated that the development of artificial intelligence should be put on hold and that the sector needs to be regulated. Musk has repeatedly voiced concerns that AI could lead to "civilizational destruction."

On Wednesday night on Twitter Spaces, Musk outlined his plan to create safer AI. Instead of explicitly programming morality into its AI, he said, xAI will seek to create an AI that is "as curious as possible."

"If it tries to understand the true nature of the universe, that will be the best I can come up with in terms of AI safety," Musk said. "I think he will be in favor of humanity from the standpoint that humanity is much more interesting than non-humanity."

Musk's new company is separate from X Corp but will work closely with Twitter, Tesla and other companies, according to its official website.

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CHARGING AHEAD: TESLA'S NEW SUCCESSES

Dear clients,

Tesla's strategy of boosting sales by lowering prices probably led to its strongest revenue growth in five quarters, while profitability fell to a three-year low in the April-June quarter.

Since late last year, the Elon Musk-led electric car maker has launched a price war to stimulate demand and stifle competition from older automakers such as Ford Motor and Chinese rivals including BYD.

Tesla is expected to report on Wednesday that gross margins fell to 18.9% in the second quarter, according to 19 analysts surveyed by Visible Alpha. That's down from 20.2% in the previous quarter and 25.9% a year earlier.

With electric car sales slowing, Tesla has been aggressively trying to capture a bigger share of the U.S. charger market in an effort to diversify its revenue streams. It has entered into agreements with companies such as Ford Motor and General Motors to use its North American Charging Standard (NACS), allowing its market value to more than double to $880 billion this year. Following these partnerships, several charging companies have announced their intention to adopt Tesla's standard.

While this will not contribute much to second-quarter revenue, which is expected to grow 45.2% to $24.59 billion, analysts predict it will significantly boost the company's earnings going forward.

"IT'S NOT SO BAD": GOLDMAN SACHS ON POSSIBLE US RECESSION

Dear clients,

Goldman Sachs chief economist Jan Hatzius said on Monday that the bank is lowering the probability of a US recession starting in the next 12 months to 20%, down from its previous forecast of 25%.

"The main reason for our downgrade is that recent data have reinforced our confidence that a decline in inflation to an acceptable level will not require a recession," the bank said in a research note.

Market expectations for a so-called "hard landing" - a scenario in which interest rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve drive the economy into recession - were recently challenged by data showing consumer and manufacturing price inflation slowed in June. Slowing inflation is likely to lead to looser monetary policy in the future. Meanwhile, economic activity remains resilient despite the significant increase in borrowing costs since the Fed's rate hike campaign began in early 2022.

As for the current inversion of the Treasury yield curve, which is generally seen as a harbinger of an impending recession, Hatzius said it reflects and simultaneously confirms "overly pessimistic" economic forecasts.

An inverted yield curve usually signals that the Fed will cut rates to stimulate the economy. However, according to a Goldman Sachs economist, there is a "plausible path" for the Fed to cut interest rates just because of lower inflation.

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CHANGE IN CASHBACK PROGRAM CONDITIONS

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CRYPTO TOP UP BONUSES CONTINUE!

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LINING UP: NEW CRYPTOCURRENCY ETFS UNDER REVIEW

Dear clients,

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has accepted for review spot bitcoin fund applications from six companies, including BlackRock, marking the first step in the process of deciding whether to approve or disapprove the latest batch of proposals.

The SEC also formally recognised applications by Bitwise, VanEck, WisdomTree, Fidelity and Invesco to create similar spot bitcoin fund ETFs, with those proposals published in the Federal Register on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The SEC had previously rejected dozens of applications to create spot bitcoin ETFs, saying the proposals did not meet fraud and investor protection standards. But Nasdaq, on which BlackRock proposed to list its ETF, said earlier this month that it was going to address those concerns by partnering with Coinbase, the largest U.S. cryptocurrency exchange, to control trading on the underlying bitcoin market.

The first bitcoin futures ETF was approved in October 2021, helping the volatile bitcoin hit an all-time high of $69 000 in November 2021.

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CHANGE IN CASHBACK PROGRAM CONDITIONS

Dear clients,

We would like to inform you about changes in Cashback promotion conditions, now the minimum trade time (MTT) is 3 minutes.

Join to the service, trade and get a spread refund up to $20!

CRYPTO TOP UP BONUSES CONTINUE!

Dear clients,

We are glad to inform you that the deposit promotion has been extended until October 31. Use the cryptocurrency you like and get a profit in every replenishment.

Be sure to check the updated terms and conditions:

1. The promotion is valid from March 9 till October 31, 2023.

2. The amount of the bonus is 5% for each deposit by cryptocurrency up to 500 USD / 500 EUR / 50,000 RUB in the trading account currency and 10% for deposits from 500 USD / 500 EUR / 50,000 RUB in the trading account currency.

3. The bonus is credited to the deposited trading account to the "Balance" field and can be used without limitations but according to the full terms of the promotion. Maximum bonus amount is 500 USD / 500 EUR / 10 MBT / 5000 RUB in the trading account currency.

4. The Company is reserves the right to:

4.1. Deduct bonus funds if the Client decides to withdraw over 30% of the deposited amount within 60 days after the deposit;

4.2. Refuse to credit the bonus, limit its size for the Client, and (or) deduct bonus funds at its discretion at any time;

4.3. Change the terms or the period of the promotion.

5. By recieving the Bonus, the Client confirms their compliance with the terms of promotion.

LINING UP: NEW CRYPTOCURRENCY ETFS UNDER REVIEW

Dear clients,

The US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC) has accepted for review spot bitcoin fund applications from six companies, including BlackRock, marking the first step in the process of deciding whether to approve or disapprove the latest batch of proposals.

The SEC also formally recognised applications by Bitwise, VanEck, WisdomTree, Fidelity and Invesco to create similar spot bitcoin fund ETFs, with those proposals published in the Federal Register on Tuesday and Wednesday.

The SEC had previously rejected dozens of applications to create spot bitcoin ETFs, saying the proposals did not meet fraud and investor protection standards. But Nasdaq, on which BlackRock proposed to list its ETF, said earlier this month that it was going to address those concerns by partnering with Coinbase, the largest U.S. cryptocurrency exchange, to control trading on the underlying bitcoin market.

The first bitcoin futures ETF was approved in October 2021, helping the volatile bitcoin hit an all-time high of $69 000 in November 2021.

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MORE EFFICIENT TRADING WITH DRAWDOWN BONUS

Dear clients,

Good news! The drawdown bonus  is also extended until 31 October. Use the extra funds to support your account during drawdown or to increase your trading turnover.

Also pay attention to the updated terms and conditions:

The bonus amount is 101% for each deposit from 101 USD / 101 EUR / 8080 RUB in the trading account currency.
The bonus is deducted from the account in full in case of creating a withdrawal request or transferring funds to another account.

Trade with certainty!

COMING SOON? US RECESSION DATA

Dear clients,

An index designed to track turns in the US business cycle declined for the 15th consecutive month in June, led by weakening consumer sentiment and rising jobless claims, marking the longest decline since the 2007-2009 recession.

The Conference Board said Thursday that its index of leading economic indicators, a gauge that helps forecast future economic activity, fell 0.7% to 106.1 in June after a revised 0.6% decline in May.

"Taken together, the data for June suggest that economic activity will continue to slow in the coming months", the organisation's analysts said. The Conference Board reiterated its forecast that the US economy is likely to be in recession from the current third quarter to the first quarter of 2024.

The Conference Board also noted that the decline in the LEI index is accelerating, with it falling 4.2% in the past six months, down from 3.8% between June and December 2022.

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ANALYST EX MACHINA: A CONTEST FROM FRESHFOREX

Dear clients,

The development of artificial intelligence is moving by leaps and bounds; from drawing to weather forecasting, it seems that there is practically no limit to AI capabilities.

But does the machine understand trading? That's what we about to find out, and while we at it, have a bit of a competition.

From 24th to 30th July, register and trade on signals from the AI. The three participants with the largest number of open positions will get $50 to their accounts.

All details are on the contest page. 

And keep in mind: the AI only advises, you decide.

Trade intelligently!

A ROUND THE WORLD. CRYPTOCURRENCY FROM THE CREATOR OF CHATGPT

Dear clients,

On Monday, the Worldcoin cryptocurrency project, founded by OpenAI CEO Sam Altman, will launch. The company creating Worldcoin is Tools for Humanity, based in San Francisco and Berlin.

The core offering of the project is the World ID, an account that only real people can get. To get a World ID, a customer registers and personally undergoes an iris scan with a Worldcoin "orb" — a silver ball about the size of a bowling ball. Once the iris scan confirms that the person is real, a World ID is created.

The project has 2 million users during its beta testing period, and with Monday's launch, Worldcoin is expanding its "orbing operations" to 35 cities in 20 countries. As an incentive, those who sign up in certain countries will receive a Worldcoin WLD cryptocurrency token.

The cryptocurrency aspect of World IDs is important because cryptocurrency blockchains allow World IDs to be stored in such a way that privacy is preserved and they cannot be controlled or disabled by any entity.

According to the authors of the project, World IDs will be necessary in the era of generative chatbots with artificial intelligence, such as ChatGPT, which create remarkably similar speech to human speech. World IDs will be able to be used to distinguish real people from AI bots on the Internet.

Major cryptocurrency exchange Binance said it will list Worldcoin, with a tentative opening of trading expected at 09:00 GMT on Monday.

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TRADING SIGNALS: US FED MEETING

Dear clients,

On July 26, a meeting of the US Federal Reserve System, the body that performs the functions of the Central Bank of America, will take place. The decision on the interest rate will determine the further movement of the market, which draw attention of traders.

How the interest rate situation will develop now, our expert explain:

The US Fed may raise the rate by 0.25 p.p. to 5.5% and will signal to the market that the current cycle of rate hikes is coming to an end. Since inflation is falling in the US, we will see the Fed's real interest rate rise, which has always had a favourable impact on the value of the dollar in the past. On Wednesday consider buying USDTRY, USDZAR and selling XAUUSD, XAGUSD.

Gain momentum with 300% deposit bonus!

WEEKLY OUTLOOK: BTCUSD, ETHUSD, XRPUSD

Dear clients,

Ripple effect has jumpstarted the cryptomarket for the altcoin and even lend a shoulder to bitcoin itself. This time, we'll be looking at the cryptocurrencies, their positions and further movements.

Join us on July 26 at 12:00 GMT.

During webinars, FreshForex analyst will answer your questions regarding the market situation and comment on the latest news.

If you missed the previous webinars, you can always find them on our site.

THE ECONOMIC PENDULUM IS IN MOTION

Dear clients,

Global stocks rose on Tuesday thanks to a rally in Asia, where the yuan jumped after China pledged to step up support for its gasping economy, while evidence of slowing growth in Europe weighed on the euro.

On Monday, China's top leaders pledged to step up aid to an economy struggling to recover from the crisis and signalled more measures to boost the property industry were on the way.

The MSCI All-World Index rose 0.2% on the back of gains in China's stock market, with the mainland index (.SSEC) up 1.9% and Hong Kong shares (.HSI) up 3% thanks to gains in property stocks, which have been falling due to debt repayment problems.

However, the positive momentum did not carry over to Europe, where stocks and the euro struggled to stay in positive territory as recession fears resurfaced after regional surveys the previous day showed business activity contracted much more sharply than expected in July.

Purchasing managers' indices published on Monday came in below expectations both in the eurozone as a whole and in key countries such as France and Germany, prompting traders to rethink what the European Central Bank might signal about the prospects for a rate hike at its meeting on Thursday.

Macroeconomic data released on Tuesday showed business confidence in Germany deteriorated this month and eurozone loan demand hit a record low in the second quarter as interest rate hikes took their toll, according to an ECB survey.

The US Federal Reserve will announce its monetary policy decision on Wednesday.

Markets are expecting a 25 basis point rate hike from both the Fed and the European Central Bank this week, but after that, pricing diverges from the rhetoric of policymakers, so the focus will be on their tone and outlook.

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"THE DOORS ARE OPEN". FED ON FUTURE RATES

Dear clients,

The US Federal Reserve raised interest rates by a quarter of a percentage point on Wednesday, with Fed Chairman Jerome Powell saying the economy still needs to slow and the labour market to weaken for inflation to return "credibly" to the 2% target set by the US central bank.

The rate hike, the Fed's 11th in the past 12 meetings, set the benchmark overnight interest rate at a range of 5.25% to 5.50%, a level last seen before the housing market crash in 2007 and which hasn't been exceeded in about 22 years.

"The Federal Open Market Committee will continue to assess additional information and its implications for monetary policy," the Fed said in a statement that differs little from the June 14 statement and leaves open the central bank's policy options in search of a stopping point for the current tightening cycle.

In addition, central bank officials are no longer forecasting a recession in the US. "So the staff's forecast now includes a marked slowdown in growth starting later this year, but given the recent resilience of the economy, they are no longer forecasting a recession," the Fed chairman said.

Powell made no promises either way: the September meeting, eight weeks away, is considered "live" for another rate hike, although a continued slowdown in inflation and weaker economic data could also prompt policymakers to take a pause.

However, he cautioned against expecting any rate easing in the near future. "We'll be comfortable cutting rates when we're comfortable cutting rates, and that won't be this year," Powell said.

ANSWER THE SIGNAL

Dear clients,

We have already started trading on AI signals and have the first results. We are glad to see the positive response among the audience and believe that such activity should be encouraged.

From July 27 to August 1 participating in trading on signals, post photos or videos of trades with hashtags #AIsignals #freshforex on FB and IG, the author of the post with the most likes will get $50 to their account.

Contest terms and conditions:

1. The contest period is from July 27 to August 1, 2023.

2. To participate in the promotion you must:

2.1. Have a real trading account with FreshForex and confirmed personal data. You can open an account at the link. The trading account is required to receive the prize.

2.2. Be subscribed to FreshForex communities in social networks Facebook, Instagram.

2.3. Publish a photo or video on your personal Facebook, Instagram, VKontakte page about how you trade with FreshForex using artificial intelligence signals.

2.4. The hashtags #AIsignals #freshforex must be included in such publication. Publications without hashtags will not be accepted. The number of posts is not limited.

2.5. Photo, video or text posts violating the rules of social networks, as well as those containing obscene or defamatory content, as well as content not related to trading on FreshForex signals will be removed.

3. The winners in each social network will be determined on August 1 by the number of "Likes" on the post.

4. The winners of the contest in each social network will receive $50 as a prize for a real trading account with FreshForex. The prize will be credited to the winner's account within 3 business days after the end of the contest and will be available for trading or withdrawal from the moment it is credited.

Show off and win!

ADVERTISING INTELLIGENCE. META'S AD REVENUES

Dear clients,

Meta shares rose nearly 8% on Thursday as an encouraging revenue forecast showed that artificial intelligence is helping the social media giant increase engagement and ad sales even in a volatile economy.

The market value of the company, which owns Facebook, was set to rise by about $60 billion after strong second-quarter earnings prompted 18 analysts to raise their target prices for the stock, which has already more than doubled this year.

Although Meta's 12% growth in ad revenue in the second quarter outpaced Google's 3% growth, earnings reports from both digital advertising giants confirmed a rebound in the sector.

Meta and Google have a combined market capitalisation of around $160 billion in the near term, exceeding the individual market value of around 90% of the companies in the S&P 500 index.

Meta's results were also boosted by improved monetisation of Reels, the short video format that is the company's answer to TikTok. According to CEO Mark Zuckerberg, annual revenue from Reels exceeds $10 billion, up from $3 billion last autumn.

The positive view from analysts confirms that a focus on cutting costs and boosting engagement through artificial intelligence has helped Meta emerge as a Wall Street favourite this year after being derided for much of 2022 for huge spending on the ambitious metaverse.

Meta's accelerating revenue growth has helped allay some fears about an expected surge in costs in 2024 due to legal fees and rising infrastructure costs, which are seen as key to the tech sector's feverish AI race.

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LOOKING FRESH, PARTNER

Dear Partner!

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Send "I want FF merch" to your manager or to partner@freshforex.com.

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Send a link on your post to partner@freshforex.com or to your manager, don’t forget to indicate the partner account number.

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In addition to the prizes, you also continue earning under the affiliate program - up to $30 per lot in accordance with improved conditions in August! Don't forget to post your affiliate link under the photos!

THE DISCOUNT MINE. REDUCED SPREADS ON GOLD AND SILVER TRADING

Dear clients,

Precious metals always have a price on the market, be it for industrial purposes or as a protective asset. Having a direct link to the world currency, metals react to any economic changes, which makes them favorite instruments among traders.

And with our offer their attractiveness becomes only higher!

From 3 to 17 August all Classic account holders can trade gold and silver against the dollar with a discount of up to 50% — the spread is reduced by half, the benefit is up to $75 per lot in each trade.

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Get even more benefits with drawdown bonus 101%. 

BAD APPLE

Dear clients,

Apple on Thursday predicted that its sales slump would continue into the current quarter, sending its stock tumbling despite beating Wall Street forecasts for sales and earnings in its fiscal third quarter.

Apple shares fell about 2% after the company predicted that the sales decline could be the fourth consecutive quarter of decline. Profit growth in the period was led by higher services sales, but lower-than-expected sales of Apple's best-known device, the iPhone, did not satisfy investors. Company executives said iPhone sales would improve in the fourth quarter, but didn't say by how much.

Apple is in a tricky position: its entrenched iPhone is fighting for share with Android rivals in a mature market, and its next big product, the Vision Pro mixed-reality headset announced in June, has yet to get into the hands of consumers.

Apple said sales in its fiscal third quarter ended July 1 fell 1.4% to $81.8 bln and earnings per share rose 5% to $1.26. That exceeded analysts' expectations of $81.69 bln and $1.19 per share, according to Refinitiv's IBES data. Weak iPhone sales were balanced by strong sales in the services segment, which includes Apple TV+, as well as sales in China, which grew 8% year-over-year.

At the same time, Apple managed to outperform the weakest smartphone market in China in a decade. According to Counterpoint Research, total smartphone sales in China fell 8% in the second calendar quarter, hitting the lowest level since 2014. Apple CEO Tim Cook, on the other hand, said that iPhone sales in China had "doubled" and that sales in other segments in China were also strong.

This helped Apple boost sales in the Greater China region to $15.76 bln, up from $14.60 bln in the same quarter last year.

According to Refinitiv, iPhone sales totalled $39.67 bln, below analysts' expectations of $39.91 bln. Cook said the number of iPhone units reached a new high, but did not provide any figures.

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AMAZON'S CLOUD NINE

Dear clients,

Amazon.com shares rose more than 8% on Friday on signs that the company's growth engines, e-commerce and cloud technology, are doing well in a volatile economy, helping the broader market fend off Apple's 4.8% drop after iPhone sales slumped.

Reports summarised a positive earnings season for most major US tech companies, from Google to Meta, thanks to a rebound in the digital advertising market and increased demand for cloud services after nearly a year of decline.

Shares in retail giant Amazon closed at a near one-year high and boosted its market value by more than $109 bil.The better-than-expected performance of Amazon's cloud business in the second quarter also boosted other members of the cherished "trillion-dollar club", with Microsoft and Alphabet up more than 2%. Wall Street analysts said Amazon's above-forecast quarterly earnings and sales showed that both of its key businesses can grow together after two years of "nasty surprises."

According to Refinitiv, at least 26 analysts - nearly half of those analysing the company's stock — raised their price forecasts for Amazon, bringing the median forecast to $170. That represents a gain of nearly 32% for Amazon stock, which is up nearly 50% so far this year.

The surge in Amazon stock reflects analysts raising their estimates for its earnings. At $139.57, the stock is valued at 47 times consensus earnings per share in 2024, according to Refinitiv's updated estimates.

ISSUED IN DIGITAL. STABLECOIN BY PAYPAL

Dear clients,

On Monday, payments giant PayPal announced the launch of a dollar-stablecoin, becoming the first major financial technology company to adopt digital currencies for payments and transfers.

The announcement by PayPal, whose shares rose 2.66% on Monday, reflects a show of confidence in the troubled cryptocurrency industry, which has struggled with regulation over the past 12 months, exacerbated by a string of high-profile crashes.

While "stable coins" have been around for quite some time, they have yet to successfully embed themselves into the mainstream consumer payments ecosystem.

Instead, consumers mostly use stablecoins as a means of trading other cryptocurrencies such as bitcoin and ether. The world's largest stablecoin is Tether, followed by USD Coin, issued by cryptocurrency provider Circle.

Previous attempts by major mainstream companies to launch stablecoins have met stiff resistance from financial regulators and politicians. Plans by Meta, Facebook back then, to launch the Libra stablecoin in 2019 were scrapped after regulators raised concerns that it could disrupt global financial stability.

Since then, a number of major economies, from the United Kingdom to the European Union, have drafted rules governing the circulation of stablecoins. The EU rules will come into force in June 2024.

PayPal's stablecoin, dubbed PayPal USD, is backed by dollar deposits and short-term U.S. Treasuries and will be issued by Paxos Trust Co. It will be gradually made available to PayPal customers in the US.

The token will be exchangeable for US dollars at any time and can also be used to buy and sell other cryptocurrencies that PayPal offers on its platform, including bitcoin.

WEEKLY OUTLOOK: GOLD, SILVER

Dear clients,

According to the World Gold Council, the demand for gold is steadily decreasing, thus shifting the price dynamics. This time, we'll be looking at precious metals, their current status and future movements.

Join us on August 9 at 12:00 GMT.

During webinars, FreshForex analyst will answer your questions regarding the market situation and comment on the latest news.

If you missed the previous webinars, you can always find them here. 

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TRADING SIGNALS: JULY INFLATION IN THE USA

Dear clients,

A closely watched US inflation report may help solve one of the most pressing questions among traders: whether the market has correctly identified the short-term trajectory of interest rates.

What to expect this month, our expert comments:

The market is expecting US inflation to rise by 0.3 p.p. to 3.3% on the back of unemployment falling to a multi-year low and wages continuing to grow at a strong pace, allowing Americans to increase consumer spending. Rising inflation is negative for the US stock market. On Thursday, consider selling #NQ100, #SP500, #Barric, #Amgen.

Save up to 50% on precious metals spreads  and support your investments with a protective asset!

A PLEASANT SURPRISE OR AN UNNECESSARY VARIABLE? UK ECOMOMICAL DATA

Dear clients,

The UK economy unexpectedly showed growth in the second quarter, laying the groundwork for further interest rate hikes by the Bank of England, but it remains the only major economy that has yet to recover the levels that preceded the economic crisis of late 2019.

Official data released on Friday showed the economy grew by 0.2% in the second quarter, contradicting economists' early forecasts. The data led to a sharp rise in sterling against the US dollar and euro.

The strong figures have bolstered bets that the Bank of England will continue to raise interest rates, as it emphasised this month that the strength of the economy is one of the factors on which it will base its decision. The central bank itself had forecast the economy to grow at 0.1% in the second quarter.

Now the Bank of England has a new headache — they may well have paused interest rate rises in the near future, but with such data it is much harder to do so, experts say.

British government bond yields rose after the market opened while investors were digesting the data.

Manufacturing recorded its best quarter since the start of 2019, aside from the initial rebound after the first COVID-19 lockout of 2020, with output up 1.6% quarter-on-quarter. Business investment also rose 3.4% for the quarter.

"The measures we are taking to tackle inflation are starting to work, which means we are laying the solid foundations we need to grow the economy," said Treasury Secretary Jeremy Hunt.

Although Britain, unlike the eurozone, has so far managed to avoid recession, the data confirmed the relatively poor performance of its economy since the start of the COVID-19 pandemic.

At the end of the second quarter, the British economy was 0.2% below year-end 2019 levels, compared to growth of 0.2% in Germany, 1.7% in France, 2.2% in Italy and 6.2% in the US.

GROWTH AND ACHIEVEMENTS. NEW FRESHFOREX AWARD

Dear clients,

We are proud to announce that FreshForex has been awarded as the Fastest Growing Broker 2022 by AllForexBonus.com.

The company won in the nomination of the Fastest Growing Broker.

AllForexBonus.com is a leading financial portal covering all types of Forex, CFD and Cryptocurrency promotions by financial brokers around the world. This award demonstrates the results of our growth and development in a very turbulent industry. Our efforts have not gone unnoticed - it motivates us to keep working, improving and offering new solutions for our clients.

We thank AllForexBonus.com for the recognition and appreciation of our efforts.

PROCRUSTEAN MARKET. THE INTERNATIONAL ENERGY AGENCY REPORT

Dear clients,

OPEC+ supply cuts could lead to lower oil inventories for the rest of this year, which could lead to further price increases before economic factors limit global demand growth in 2024, the International Energy Agency (IEA) said on Friday.

The IEA said that if current OPEC+ targets are maintained, oil inventories could fall by 2.2 million barrels per day (bpd) in the third quarter and 1.2 million bpd in the fourth quarter, "which could lead to further price increases".

"The deepening of OPEC+ supply cuts has collided with improving macroeconomic sentiment and record-high global oil demand," the Paris-based energy organisation said in its monthly oil market report.

Demand growth is forecast to slow sharply to 1 million bpd next year, the IEA said, citing weak macroeconomic conditions, a fading post-pandemic economic recovery and the growing use of electric vehicles.

The IEA's forecast for demand growth is down 150,000 bpd from last month and is at odds with OPEC, which on Thursday maintained its forecast that oil demand in 2024 will grow by a much larger 2.25 million bpd.

For 2023, the IEA and OPEC views are less far apart.

The IEA expects demand to grow by 2.2 million bpd in 2023, fuelled by summer air travel, increased oil use in the power sector and rising petrochemical activity in China. OPEC expects growth of 2.44 million bpd.

The projections show an average of 102.2 million bpd of demand this year, with China accounting for more than 70% of the growth, despite concerns about the economic health of the world's top oil importer.

Oil prices fell more than 1% on Monday as concerns about China's fragile economic recovery and a stronger dollar dampened seven-week gains amid supply cuts from OPEC+ production cuts.

Reflecting the supply cuts, the price spread between first- and second-month Brent crude was unchanged on Monday after settling at 67 cents on Friday, the widest since March.

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BY A BOOTSTRAPS. RATE CUT BY CHINA'S CENTRAL BANK

Dear clients,

China's central bank unexpectedly cut its key rate for the second time in three months on Tuesday, signalling again that the country's authorities are stepping up efforts to ease monetary policy to stimulate a faltering economic recovery.

Analysts said the move opened the door for a possible cut in China's benchmark lending rate next week.

Market watchers said slower credit growth and higher deflation risk in July necessitated additional monetary easing measures to stem the slowdown in the economy, while default risks of some housing developers and a payment miss by a private asset manager also affected confidence in the financial market.

The People's Bank of China said it cut the rate on one-year medium-term loans worth 401 billion yuan ($55.25 billion) to some financial institutions by 15 basis points to 2.50% from 2.65% previously.

The medium-term rate serves as a benchmark for the benchmark rate, and markets largely use the medium-term rate policy as a precursor to any changes in credit benchmarks. The monthly fixing of the base rate is due next Monday.

The central bank also lent 204 billion yuan in seven-day reverse repayment deals, lowering borrowing costs by 10 basis points to 1.80% from 1.90% earlier, it said in an online statement.

China remains an exception among global central banks as it has loosened monetary policy to support a stalled economic recovery, while other countries are in a tightening cycle struggling with high inflation. Tuesday's rate change widened the yield gap with other major economies, particularly the U.S., putting pressure on the yuan and risking capital outflows.

FUTURES SECURED. COINBASE' LEGAL TRIUMPH.

Dear clients,

Coinbase Global announced on Wednesday that it has received permission to offer cryptocurrency futures to retail customers in the United States, in a major victory against a lawsuit by the US Securities and Exchange Commission (SEC).

The move will allow Coinbase to offer bitcoin and ether futures directly to eligible US customers. Until now, only the company's institutional clients have been able to trade such products.

Coinbase shares rose 3% to $81.55 after receiving approval from the National Futures Association (NFA), a separate regulatory organisation authorised by the Commodity Futures Trading Commission (CFTC).

"This is a critical milestone that reaffirms our commitment to operating a regulated and compliant business," Coinbase said in a statement.

The company has openly criticised the SEC, which in a June lawsuit accused Coinbase of illegal activity because it failed to register as an exchange.

CEO Brian Armstrong also said that an unfriendly regulatory environment could cause more U.S. cryptocurrency companies to go offshore, and SEC Chairman Gary Gensler's coercive approach could stifle innovation in the industry.

The NFA approval, which came nearly two years after Coinbase's filing, could allow the company to enter a largely untapped market.

The global derivatives market accounts for nearly 80% of the entire cryptocurrency market, and bets on futures and other leveraged derivatives are often the cause of volatility in the broader market.

MORE CURRENCIES, WIDER OPTIONS

Dear clients,

Trading is becoming even more convenient, our set of available currencies in which you can deposit and hold an account has received a major update:

National currencies: Malaysian ringgit (MYR), Nigerian naira (NGN), Tanzanian shilling (TZS), Kazakhstani tenge (KZT) and South African rand (ZAR)

The list of cryptocurrencies has also been expanded. All presented options are sought-after coins with high capitalisation:

Cryptocurrencies: Tether (USDT), Litecoin (LTC), Ripple (XRP), Bitcoin Cash (BCH), Binance Coin (BNB), Cardano (ADA)

Deposit in the way that suits you!

HOUSE DIVIDED. FED MEETING MINUTES

Dear clients,

At the US Federal Reserve meeting held on July 25-26, opinions on the need for further interest rate hikes were divided: "some participants" pointed to the risks to the economy from excessive rate hikes, while "most" policymakers continued to favour fighting inflation, according to the minutes of the meeting published on Wednesday.

"Participants remained determined to bring inflation down to the target level of 2%," said the minutes of the meeting, at which Federal Open Market Committee policymakers unanimously decided to raise the benchmark overnight interest rate to a range of 5.25%-5.50%. "Most participants continue to believe that inflation is subject to significant upside risks, which may warrant further monetary tightening".

However, cautious views on the implications of further monetary tightening played a more prominent role in the discussion at last month's meeting, suggesting a widening spread of views at the Fed as policymakers weigh the evidence of lower inflation and assess the potential damage to jobs and economic growth if rates are raised more than necessary.

The group also "discussed a number of risk management considerations that could affect future policy decisions," the minutes said. While the majority of the panel acknowledged inflation as the main risk, "some participants noted that while economic activity had been resilient and the labour market remained strong, downside risks to economic activity and higher unemployment remained."

Overall, the minutes said, Fed policymakers agreed that uncertainty remained high and that future interest rate decisions would depend on a "body of" data that would arrive in the "coming months" that would "help clarify the extent to which the disinflation process continues," which could signal a more patient approach to further increases in borrowing costs.

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THRILL RIDE: BITCOIN'S EXTRAORDINARY FALL

Bitcoin's extraordinary fallBitcoin hit a new two-month low on Friday, breaking out of its recent narrow range amid a wave of negative sentiment sweeping global markets.

Bitcoin fell 7.2% last Thursday, the biggest one-day drop since November 2022, when the leading FTX exchange collapsed.

It then fell to a two-month low of $26,172 in Asian trading on Friday, the lowest since 16 June.

A wave of sell-offs gripped global markets, with major Wall Street indexes closing lower on Thursday and Asian stocks starting a third week of losses due to concerns about the health of China's economy and fears that US interest rates will rise longer given the economy's resilience.

Ether, the second-largest cryptocurrency, remained steady at $1,685.20, also falling sharply on Thursday.

Some analysts attributed the cryptocurrencies' fall to a Wall Street Journal report that Elon Musk's SpaceX sold its bitcoin holdings, writing down their value by $373 million. Musk is influential among crypto-enthusiasts, and bitcoin prices have previously fluctuated in response to his tweets.

Bitcoin has held near the $30,000 mark in recent months, gradually recovering this year after a sharp drop in 2022 when various cryptocurrency companies collapsed, leaving investors with heavy losses.

Cryptocurrency markets got a boost in June as BlackRock applied to launch a spot bitcoin exchange-traded fund (ETF) in the US. Some investors took the move as a sign that the US Securities and Exchange Commission would approve applications to launch a spot bitcoin ETF from various asset managers, including Grayscale.

THE SUSPENSE OVER JACKSON HOLE

Dear clients,

A sharp rise in US Treasury yields is sending shivers through risky areas of the market, leaving investors wondering how bad the damage will be to a rally that has lifted everything from equities to bitcoin this year.

Strong economic growth has fuelled expectations that the Federal Reserve will raise rates for longer, pushing Treasury yields this month to their highest level since 2007. The rise has made it harder for holders of stocks and other speculative assets to ignore their gains, which have continued for most of the year even as yields have steadily risen.

The S&P 500 index lost 4% this month as the yield on 10-year U.S. Treasuries rose to a more than 15-year high of 4.35% on Monday. At the same time, the S&P 500 technology sector fell 5.7%, bitcoin fell more than 10%, and the ARK Innovation ETF, a bastion of many high-growth companies, fell 18.5%. Stocks generally rose on Monday, with the S&P 500 index up 0.7% for the day.

Rising Treasury yields, which change inversely with Treasury bond prices, can take the gloss off speculative assets by offering investors attractive payouts on investments that are considered essentially risk-free because they are backed by the U.S. government. Rising rates also raise the cost of capital in the economy, making it harder for everyone from individuals to companies to service debt.

The most important test for markets will be the annual meeting of central bankers in Jackson Hole. On Friday, Fed Chairman Jerome Powell is scheduled to give a speech on the economic outlook.

According to the latest weekly Refinitiv Lipper data, US investors were net sellers of equity funds for the third consecutive week in the seven days to 16 August. At the same time, they were attracted by strong returns in money market funds, which attracted about $32.5bn in the past week, the largest inflows since 5 July.

Investor positioning in the equity market fell for a fourth straight week to a two-month low, according to Deutsche Bank data.

However, bets against equities have been losing ground this year. Many investors believe equities will hold strong this year, which has seen them rebound from widespread fears of recession and turmoil in the banking sector. The S&P 500 index has gained 14.6% over the past year. Goldman Sachs strategists said Monday that the volume of stocks held by retail and institutional investors is below historical norms, suggesting the bull market may have additional fuel left if the economy remains strong.

EXPLORING THE NEW NATIONAL CURRENCIES

Dear clients,

More choices never hurt and just recently FreshForex introduced new Asian and African options. This time, we'll be checking out new national currencies.

Join us on August 23 at 12:00 GMT.

During webinars, FreshForex analyst will answer your questions regarding the market situation and comment on the latest news.

If you missed the previous webinars, you can always find them here. 

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UNARTIFICIAL VALUATION: NVIDIA'S QUARTERLY REPORT

Dear clients,

Nvidia's strong quarterly earnings forecast met Wall Street's high expectations on Wednesday, sending a host of artificial intelligence-related stocks soaring and adding momentum to the stalled recovery of the U.S. stock market.

Following the signal, Nvidia shares jumped nearly 10% to a record high of $516, boosting the company's market value by about $110bn to $1.27 trillion and cementing its lead as the world's most expensive chip maker.

That came after the company posted a fiscal third-quarter earnings forecast that exceeded analysts' expectations, helped by growing demand for its high-end chips that power much of the world's major artificial intelligence technology.

Nvidia's additional $25 billion share buyback announced on Wednesday came amid a stock that has already tripled this year, making it the first trillion-dollar chip business in history, as investors bet Nvidia will be a key beneficiary of the artificial intelligence boom.

Everyone from AI startups to major cloud service providers such as Microsoft are keen to get their hands on more Nvidia chips. Demand from China is also on the rise, as companies there place rush orders to stock up on chips before further restrictions on U.S. exports take effect.

S&P 500 E-Mini futures rose 0.5% and Nasdaq E-Mini futures climbed 0.9%, suggesting Wall Street is likely to open higher on Thursday. Investors had been awaiting Nvidia's earnings report this week as a potential spark for renewed gains in the sluggish U.S. stock market.

Nvidia shares have more than tripled this year as the chipmaker is at the centre of a rally in technology stocks fuelled by optimism about the potential of artificial intelligence. Nvidia's forecast added to investor optimism. Following the report's release, the value of shares in big tech companies related to artificial intelligence increased by more than $70bn, in addition to the value of Nvidia's stock.

Nvidia expects third-quarter revenue to be around $16bn, plus or minus 2%. Analysts polled by Refinitiv on average expected $12.61bn.

FOOT OFF THE PEDAL. THE ECB AND THE COMING RATES

Dear clients,

According to eight sources with direct knowledge of the discussions, European Central Bank policymakers are increasingly concerned about the deteriorating growth prospects for the economy and, while the discussion remains open, the idea of holding off on rate hikes is gaining momentum.

The ECB has raised rates at each of its last nine meetings in a bid to rein in price growth, most recently on July 27 when it left open the choice of its next meeting in September, with policymakers divided between a pause and further tightening.

Talks with eight policymakers in Europe and on the sidelines of the US Federal Reserve's symposium in Jackson Hole suggest proponents of a "pause" are growing stronger after key economic indicators over the past six weeks have come in below expectations, suggesting a recession has become likely.

Several sources said the odds were evenly split between a rate hike and a pause, while some said a pause was more likely. But none of the sources said they thought a rate hike was the most likely outcome, even if that was their preference.

That's markedly different from six weeks ago, when a rate hike in September was still considered the most likely outcome. However, all sources agreed that even in the event of a pause, the ECB would have to make it clear that its work is not yet done and that further policy tightening may be needed.

They said it could take several months, possibly until early 2024, to be sure that eurozone inflation, now at 5.3%, is moving towards the 2% target.

The sources also agreed that the discussion remains open and nothing will be decided until the next inflation figure on August 31 and the ECB's new economic forecasts. The next ECB meeting will be held on September 14.

Markets are currently split between the chances of a rate hike in September and a pause, but expect the ECB to still go for a final rate hike of 25 basis points to 4% at some point later this year.

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IN THE PURSUIT OF PROFIT. MARATHON OF VOLATILE INSTRUMENTS

Dear clients,

The market is frozen waiting for a new push, but is it a reason for us to slow down?

We are launching the volatility marathon; during the week you will be presented with a selection of the most profitable instruments that have already proved themselves in trading.

Signals will be published from 7:30 GMT on our social networks and Telegram channel.

Forwards to success!

"UNTIL THE JOB IS DONE." JEROME POWELL'S SPEECH IN JACKSON HOLE

Dear clients,

Fed Chairman Jerome Powell said on Friday that the Federal Reserve may need to raise interest rates once again to bring down still too high inflation and promised caution at upcoming meetings, noting both the progress made in easing price pressures and the risks posed by the unexpected strength of the U.S. economy.

While Powell's statements weren't as hawkish as a year ago at the annual economic policy symposium in Jackson Hole, they were still quite sharp, and investors now see another rate hike before the end of the year as more likely.

"We will proceed cautiously in deciding whether to tighten policy further or, conversely, to keep the rate unchanged and await further data," Powell said in his keynote speech. "The Fed's objective is to bring inflation down to its 2% target, and we will do so."

The Fed has raised rates by 5.25 percentage points since March 2022, and inflation at the Fed's preferred rate has fallen to 3.3% from a peak of 7% last summer. While the decline was a "welcome development," Powell believes inflation "remains too high."

"We are prepared to raise rates further, if appropriate, and intend to keep policy at a restrictive level until we are confident that inflation is moving steadily downward toward our target," he said.

However, given "signs that the economy may not be cooling as expected," including "particularly strong" consumer spending and a "possible recovery" in the housing sector, Powell said that above-trend growth "could jeopardise further progress on inflation and warrant further monetary tightening."

His speech showed the Fed struggling with conflicting signals from the economy, with inflation reportedly slowing strongly without much cost to the economy — a good outcome, but one that raised the possibility that Fed policy is not tight enough to finish the job.

Unlike last year's closely watched speech at a conference organised by the Federal Reserve Bank of Kansas City — in which Powell warned in stark terms of impending policy tightening — Powell did not talk about the coming "pain" for the public caused by further policy tightening.

But he also didn't make it clear that a rate cut was imminent, nor did he hint, as some policymakers have done, at the need to adjust rates downward once inflation becomes more sustainable.

At the end of the day, futures contracts tied to the Fed's discount rate estimated the probability of a rate hike in September at just under 20%, but the odds of the rate ending the year in the 5.5%-5.75% range, a quarter point above the current range, were higher than the 50% probability. The yield on two-year Treasuries ended the day at 5.08%, the highest since June 2007.

Powell said it is difficult to accurately gauge how high above the "neutral" interest rate the current base rate is, and therefore difficult to gauge how much the Fed is restraining growth and inflation.

Powell reiterated what has become the Fed's standard diagnosis of inflation progress: easing goods inflation and declining housing inflation are "on track," but concerns that continued consumer spending on a wide range of services and a tight labour market may make a return to 2% difficult.

Recent declines in measures of core inflation, excluding food and energy prices, "are welcomed, but two months of good data is just the beginning of what will be needed to build confidence in a sustained decline in inflation," Powell emphasised.

Although Powell's tone was not as harsh as last year, when he dispelled market perceptions in very blunt terms that the Fed at the time was nearing the end of its rate hike cycle and would cut rates before the end of this year. Nevertheless, it was clear that he did not want to discard any options.

Powell ended his remarks Friday with almost the same phrase he used last year in Jackson Hole: "We're going to keep at it until the job is done."

"ATTENDRE ET ESPÉRER". CHINESE STOCKS RALLY

Dear clients,

Chinese stocks led the rally in Asian equities on Tuesday as investors welcomed Beijing's efforts to support markets, while bonds rose and the dollar declined amid possible softening in U.S. data.

MSCI, the broadest index of Asia-Pacific shares besides Japan, rose 1%, Hong Kong's Hang Seng was up more than 2% and mainland China's blue chips (.CSI300) were up 1.5%.

In recent days, China has halved stamp duty on share trading, relaxed margin lending rules, slowed new listings and approved new retail funds, at least signalling a determination to stabilise the market.

And while foreign investors sold their shares on Monday on an initial bounce after the measures were announced over the weekend, they net bought about $500 million worth of Chinese stocks on Tuesday, perhaps in the hope that more substantial relief would follow.

"We doubt that these policies alone can change confidence or determine the direction of the market," Bank of America analysts said.

"Financial markets are merely a reflection of the underlying economy, and we need policies that can address the underlying economic fundamentals .... In our view, the next 2-3 weeks are still an important window for policy action."

Shares in Hong Kong were led by shares in China's struggling Country Garden and electric car maker BYD, which reported a threefold increase in first-half profit.

TIME TO COUNT THE CHICKEN. NON-FARM PAYROLL REPORT

Dear clients,

Nonfarm Payrolls report is the indicator that shows the change in the number of employed in the US non-farm sector. This time we'll be looking at the report, how it reflects on the market and the way to trade on it.

Join us on August 30 at 12:00 GMT.

During webinars, FreshForex analyst will answer your questions regarding the market situation and comment on the latest news.

If you missed the previous webinars, you can always find them on our site.

---

SAVED BY THE GAVEL: BITCOIN'S STARK REVERSAL

Dear clients,

Bitcoin's gains from a U.S. court ruling bolstering the future prospects of funds targeting retail investors saved the cryptocurrency from a disappointing month and instilled renewed optimism about its long-term prospects.

The Securities and Exchange Commission's rejection of Grayscale Investments' proposal was "arbitrary and prejudicial", a federal court said Tuesday, giving the crypto asset manager a landmark victory.

The cryptocurrency surged more than 7% on the news, setting the course for its best day since March and cutting some of the heavy losses suffered over the summer.

Plagued by lower demand for risky assets caused by rising U.S. Treasury yields and a drop in volatility during quiet summer trading, bitcoin was on track for its worst month since November 2022 before the ruling, when confusion reigned following the liquidation of the FTX exchange. Its monthly losses are now around 5%.

Investors said Grayscale's victory will likely now factor into future SEC rulings on spot bitcoin fund ETFs filed by several major financial firms this year, including the world's largest asset manager BlackRock.

The emergence of spot bitcoin ETFs could help the cryptocurrency industry tap into a large amount of previously untapped funds from retail investors, which in turn would help boost the bitcoin price.

TRADING SIGNALS: NFP FOR AUGUST

Dear clients,

On September 1, we are expecting the publication of data on Nonfarm Payroll, a measure of U.S. manufacturing employment. The report significantly affects the movement of the US dollar and related instruments.

What indicators are expected this time, let's find out from our expert:

The leading employment indicators from ADP and ISM point to the release of weak Non-Farm Employment data, which is negative for the US dollar, as this situation allows the US Fed to keep interest rates at the current level. On Friday, consider selling USDZAR, USDCAD and buying AUDUSD, XAUUSD.

Get ready to harvest with 101% bonus! 

CAUSE AND EFFECT: GRADUAL RECOVERY OF THE OIL MARKET

Dear clients,

Oil prices were about to break a two-week losing streak as they rose for the fourth consecutive session on Friday on the back of supply cuts and expectations that the OPEC+ group of oil producers will extend production cuts until the end of the year.

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 21 cents, or 0.3%, to $83.84 a barrel, while Brent crude was up 26 cents, also up 0.3%, to $87.09 a barrel as of 0605 GMT. For the week, WTI is up more than 5% and Brent is up about 3%.

Analysts expect Saudi Arabia to extend a voluntary oil production cut of 1 million barrels a day for October, adding to cuts by the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries.

"We continue to expect production cuts to be extended and prices above $90 per barrel (on a sustained basis) will be required to attract OPEC supply to the market, as well as incentivize U.S. shale oil producers to increase drilling activity," National Australia Bank said in a client note on Friday.

U.S. crude inventories fell by a more-than-expected 10.6 million barrels last week, government data showed Wednesday. Commercial crude inventories have fallen by 34 million barrels since mid-July.

Traders and investors often view changes in U.S. inventories as a proxy for changes in the balance of global production and consumption, and spot prices and quotes may rise if inventories continue to deplete.

"Signs of increased demand have also been evident in the commodities market, with implied gasoline demand rising for the first time in three weeks," ANZ said in a research note on Friday.

A weakening US dollar, which looks set to end a six-week winning streak, also helped prices. A stronger dollar puts pressure on demand for oil, making the commodity more expensive for buyers holding other currencies.

A survey showing renewed growth in Chinese factory activity and Beijing's measures to support China's weakened housing market also helped boost oil prices on Friday as traders hoped it would stimulate demand in the world's second-largest oil-consuming country.

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TWO BENEFITS FOR THE PRICE OF ONE: 101%+CASHBACK

Dear clients,

Summer is over, but that's no reason to be upset, because we have a hot offer  for you.

From the 4th of September for new clients for the first deposit 101% cashback is also available.

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3. To participate in the promotion you need to:

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3.2. Enable the Cashback promotion on your trading account in the Client Area;

3.3. Make a deposit from 101 USD;

3.4. Contact the personal manager with the code word HOT to credit the deposit bonus in the amount of 101%;

4. Bonus funds are used in accordance with the terms of the promotion Drawdown bonus 101%; crediting of spread refund in accordance with Cashback promotion terms.

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RATIO'D. UPDATED FORECASTS FROM MOODY'S

Dear clients,

Ratings agency Moody's on Friday raised its forecast for U.S. economic growth in 2023 but lowered its outlook for China next year, noting that while the risk of a U.S. recession has declined, China's problems are mounting.

"We have raised our forecast for U.S. economic growth to 1.9% in 2023 from 1.1% in our May forecast, recognising the strong underlying economic momentum," Moody's said in a report.

The agency, which is currently the only Big Three agency still holding a "AAA" rating for the U.S. after a downgrade by Fitch last month, maintained its 2024 economic growth forecast at 1%, saying high interest rates will drag on the economy.

"We believe it will be difficult for the Fed to achieve a sustained decline in inflation to the 2.0% target while current economic conditions persist," Moody's said in a statement. "In our view, several quarters of below-trend growth are needed to prevent overheating."

On the other hand, the agency said China faces "significant growth challenges" stemming from weak business and consumer confidence amid economic and political uncertainty, ongoing problems in the real estate sector and an aging working-age population.

Moody's maintained its growth forecast for this year at 5%, but cut its 2024 outlook to 4.0% from 4.5% previously. China's rating is at A1 with a stable outlook, four notches below the U.S.' top rating.

"Data from China suggest that the economic recovery from the prolonged zero-rate policy remains muted, as the momentum for renewed growth seen in March, April and May appears to be waning," Moody's said in the report.

"We believe low consumer confidence is restraining household spending, and economic and political uncertainty will continue to weigh on business decisions."

NO MIRACLE IN SIGHT. ECONOMIC DATA FROM CHINA

Dear clients,

Asian stocks fell on Tuesday as weak service sector data renewed fears of a faltering post-pandemic Chinese economy.

The MSCI was down 0.65% at 511.63, moving away from 515.37, the highest level since 11 August, which it reached on Monday.

Futures indicated that the gloomy mood is likely to spread to Europe, with the Eurostoxx 50 futures down 0.21%, Germany's DAX down 0.20% and the FTSE futures down 0.29%.

The recent rally in Chinese equities, fuelled by a series of government measures aimed at supporting the weakening economy, is quickly fading. The CSI 300 blue-chip index fell 0.58% and Hong Kong's Hang Seng fell 1.5% after these markets recorded their best day in over a month on Monday.

Optimism quickly faded after a private sector survey on Tuesday showed that China's service sector activity grew at the slowest pace in eight months in August as weak demand continues to haunt the world's second-largest economy and stimulus measures failed to significantly revive consumption.

Nevertheless, investors are hopeful that Beijing's drip-feed of stimulus will be enough to stabilise the Chinese economy.

In a rare piece of good news for China's crisis-hit property sector, a source close to Country Garden said the company made interest payments on two dollar bonds just as the grace period was due to end on Tuesday.

On Friday, China's largest private property developer received approval from onshore creditors to extend a 3.9 billion yuan ($536 million) private bond.

WEEKLY OUTLOOK: BTC, ETH, XRP

Dear clients,

The world of crypto is seeing some hard ups and downs lately, with both Grayscale ETF approval and SpaceX dumping their crypto assets. This time, we'll be looking Bitcoin, Ethereum and Ripple, what's going on with them now and what may happen further on.

Join us on September 6 at 12:00 GMT.

During webinars, FreshForex analyst will answer your questions regarding the market situation and comment on the latest news.

If you missed the previous webinars, you can always find them on our site.

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GOOD NEWS, BAD NEWS. THE POWER MOVE OF DOLLAR

Dear clients,

Global stock indices were mostly down on Thursday, with the S&P 500 and Nasdaq falling along with Apple shares, while the US dollar rose after weaker-than-expected US jobless claims data.

Initial jobless claims in the states for the week ended September 2 unexpectedly fell to 216,000 from a revised 229,000 the week before. The latest week's reading was the lowest since February.

A separate report showed that US labour productivity in the second quarter was not as strong as previously announced.

The latest data confirmed the view that the US economy remains resilient and that US interest rates may have to be raised for a long time to come.

China's yuan fell to a 16-year low against the dollar amid falling property prices, weak consumer spending and reduced credit growth in the world's second-largest economy.

China's trade data released on Thursday, while not as dire as economists had forecast, still showed a nearly 9% drop in exports and a more than 7% drop in imports.

In Japan, traders continued to watch for intervention as the Japanese yen struggled to make a sustained breakout against the steady dollar.

The dollar had earlier hit its highest since November at 147.875 yen and was last down 0.4% to 147.20.

The dollar declined on Friday but still remains on track for its longest weekly winning streak in nine years, helped by a steady run of U.S. economic data that also called into question the end of the Federal Reserve's aggressive rate hike cycle.

The U.S. Dollar Index, which measures the dollar against major currencies, was last down 0.1% at 104.93, but remained not far from the previous session's six-month high of 105.15. The index was on track to continue rising for the eighth consecutive week and is currently up 0.6%.

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We extend the summer and offer the hot promotion! Unprecedented benefit for new clients — activate Cashback and get 101% of the amount on your first deposit.

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3. To participate in the promotion, you have to:

3.1. Register and open a trading account;

3.2. Enable the Cashback promotion on your trading account in the Client Area;

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3.4. Contact the personal manager with the code word HOT to credit the deposit bonus in the amount of 101%;

4. Bonus funds are used in accordance with the terms of the promotion Drawdown bonus 101%; crediting of spread refund in accordance with Cashback promotion terms.

5. In order to prevent abuse of the promotion terms and conditions, the Company reserves the right to refuse the client this offer without warning at any time at its discretion.

LET'S TALK ABOUT ECB MEETING

Dear clients,

On September 14, the European Central Bank will hold meeting, it will provoke strong fluctuations on the financial markets.

We will tell you how to earn with this event and which instruments can bring the most profit, as well as how the meeting will affect the euro and European indices.

Join us on September 13 at 12:00 GMT.

During webinars, FreshForex analyst will answer your questions regarding the market situation and comment on the latest news.

If you missed the previous webinars, you can always find them here. 

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ECB MEETING: WHAT WILL HAPPEN TO THE RATE?

Dear clients,

The next big event today is the ECB meeting. The European Central Bank is a global financial institution that regulates the entire Eurozone credit and financial policy. For this reason, the ECB Interest Rate Decision causes high volatility in the financial markets.

What will be the decision this time, and what instruments can be chosen? Our lead analyst says:

The ECB may keep the interest rate at 4.25% today and will signal to traders that it is ready to raise rates at the next meetings if necessary. Keeping rates at the same level is negative for the single European currency. Today, consider selling EURUSD, EURCAD, EURHKD.

It's a good time to top up with the 101% promotion : that way you'll have more funds to trade with.

DOUBLE BENEFIT WHEN TRADING BITCOIN!

Dear clients,

For two weeks, commission costs will be half off when opening Bitcoin trades (BTCUSD).

Until September 28, there is a 50% discount on spread and swap when depositing from $399. This is a great opportunity to earn more! Open trades intraday or for a longer term, you will save significantly either way.

In addition, you can save even more if you fund your account with cryptocurrency! We will credit 10% of the deposit amount without limit.

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NEXT TO THE STAGE. BANK OF JAPAN MEETING

Dear clients,

In Asian trading on Monday, the US dollar barely moved, even sterling rose, but the yen fell as a Japanese holiday and a slew of upcoming central bank meetings sucked the air out of the markets.

The Bank of Japan meeting on Friday will be the highlight of the week in Asia, after Bank Governor Kazuo Ueda sparked speculation of an imminent departure from ultra-soft policy.

This has highlighted the Japanese central bank in a week packed with central bank meetings, with a hawkish pause expected from the US Federal Reserve on Wednesday and the Bank of England possibly raising rates for the last time on Thursday.

The yen was unchanged against the US dollar at between 147.63 and 147.88 per dollar, while markets in Japan were closed due to a public holiday. The yen fell 1.3% in the days following Ueda's announcement that he would soon move away from negative rates, with losses for 2023 exceeding 11%.

Economists at Commonwealth Bank of Australia expect yen exchange rate volatility ahead of the policy meeting and believe investors may have misinterpreted Ueda's comments. Recent weakness in Japanese wages and possible prices could also soften and push the BoJ away from its inflation target, so the case for the BoJ to tighten policy is not yet strong.

CRYPTO BLUES: STABLECOIN'S HEAVY SHARE OF LOSSES

Dear clients,

Bitcoin is not the only asset experiencing a late summer downturn.

Stablecoins, cryptocurrencies typically pegged to real assets such as the US dollar, have fallen to their lowest market capitalisation in two years as low trading volumes and a buzzing dollar put pressure on the market for these tokens.

In fact, they are suffering the most.

While the entire cryptocurrency ecosystem has bounced back from 2022 lows, the market capitalisation of the stablecoin sector is set to decline for the 18th consecutive month, according to research firm CCData. It's down by almost a tenth this year and stood at $124.4bn as of 14 September.

Not everyone is keeping pace, though: The largest dollar-stablecoin, Tether, is bucking the downward trend. It hit a record high of $83.8bn in July, according to CoinGecko, after being worth less than $80bn in the first three months of this year, its volume has since fallen to around $82.9bn.

While stablecoins make up only a modest portion of the cryptocurrency market, they play a key role for traders, allowing them to hedge against price spikes in other tokens, such as bitcoin, or to store idle cash without having to transfer it back into fiat currency. Some enthusiasts also envisage using stablecoins as a means of payment.

However, the market for these tokens has been in the doldrums since last year's collapse of the algorithmic token TerraUSD, which was once the fourth-largest stablecoin token and was the first domino in a series of dramatic industry failures.

The market has also suffered losses for Binance's dollar-linked token BUSD, which is down about 89% from its all-time high reached in November. In February, the New York Department of Financial Services ordered issuer Paxos to cease issuing the token, which was once the third-largest stablecoin.

The market value of USD Coin (USDC), the second-largest stablecoin, has fallen more than 53% from its record high reached last June and now stands at more than $26bn.

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TRADING SIGNALS: US FED MEETING

Dear clients,

On September 20, the US Federal Reserve System, the body that performs the functions of the Central Bank of America, will hold a meeting. The decision on the interest rate will determine further market movement, which is what makes traders involved.

Our expert tells us how the situation with the rates will develop now:

The US Fed may keep the rate at the previous level of 5.5% today, but will signal to traders about the possibility of raising rates at the next meeting on November 1, as fuel prices have risen strongly in the United States, which is fraught with rising inflation. The future rate hike is positive for the dollar, thus consider buying USDCAD, USDZAR and selling AUDUSD, XAGUSD on Wednesday.

Make your arrangements and get up to 10% bonus on your account for each deposit with cryptocurrency! 

'WHAT A TWIST' FOR BANK OF ENGLAND

Dear clients,

The Bank of England will announce on Thursday whether it is halting its series of interest rate hikes, a day after signs that a turnaround is in sight in the UK's handling of high inflation.

As soon as official data showed an unexpected drop in the rate of price growth, investors began betting on Wednesday that the Bank of England would keep the Bank Rate at 5.25%. By Thursday, the figure had already reached 5.5%

Goldman Sachs and other banks abandoned their earlier expectations of another rate hike, and investors put the Bank of England's pause at around 50%, up from 20% on Tuesday.

Other analysts said they still see a final Bank of England rate hike as the most likely outcome following the recent surge in global oil prices, but emphasised that it could go either way.

Bank of England Governor Andrew Bailey and his colleagues on the Monetary Policy Committee have been heavily criticised after consumer price inflation topped 11% last October.

In recent weeks, Bailey and other officials have emphasised that while they may be close to reaching the peak of their series of rate rises, they may have to keep borrowing costs high for some time, dashing hopes of a rapid rate cut.

Whether or not the Bank of England raises rates again, it is likely to face the challenge of convincing investors that it will stand by its judgement and not rush to cut rates even as the already fragile UK economy shows signs of weakening.

The Bank of England is concerned that wages are still defying a slowdown in the wider economy and are rising at a record pace, threatening to derail its attempts to bring inflation down.

As well as the rate decision, the central bank is expected to unveil details of the next phase of a programme to reduce the stockpile of government bonds it has built up over a decade and a half to help the economy during the global financial crisis and the COVID-19 pandemic.

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CHIP AND FAIL. A TROUBLED MONTH FOR THE SEMICONDUCTOR INDUSTRY

Dear clients,

Shares of Nvidia and other U.S. semiconductor companies are starting to slowly lose lustre after a stunning rally into 2023 as investors weigh high valuations, rising Treasury yields and signs of industry worries.

At the start of the year, shares of chip companies soared, with the Philadelphia SE Semiconductor (.SOX) index surging more than 50% through July. No stock has embodied the chip industry's success more than Nvidia, whose shares tripled in 2023, when the company's market value topped $1 trillion, driven by excitement around the central role of the company's products in artificial intelligence applications.

However, the group's performance has stalled. SOX is down more than 7% this month, compared with a 2.3% fall in the broad S&P 500 index, while Nvidia shares — the driver of this year's broad market rally — are down more than 14% in September.

Investors said the group is also being impacted by industry concerns, including ongoing tensions between the U.S. and China over semiconductors. Washington is considering imposing restrictions on the sale of artificial intelligence chips, after export controls last year cut China off from some semiconductor chips made anywhere in the world on US equipment.

Another blow came from Taiwan's TSMC, which asked its major suppliers to delay shipments of high-tech chip-making equipment as the world's top contract chipmaker grows increasingly nervous about customer demand. Shares of several TSMC suppliers fell after the announcement.

Meanwhile, the excitement following last week's initial public offering of Arm Holdings has died down, and shares of the chip developer have fallen for the fifth consecutive day.

Still, the sentiment among investors is still quite positive. Many chip stocks have risen significantly over the year, and this month may prove to be only a temporary setback.

FREE POWERFUL TRADING ANALYTICS IN METATRADER 5

Dear clients,

Last week the MetaTrader 5 platform was updated to the Build 3950 version.

Let's get straight to the main thing. The trading history report has been redesigned and completely updated - now it is more clear. The developers have revised the approach to information presentation and converted dry statistical reports into interactive charts and diagrams. The work is still in progress, but you can already evaluate the changes. To view trade statistics, click "Reports" in the "View" menu.

Available reports:

Summary - summary information about your activity over time: account details, profit and loss totals, deposit and withdrawal amounts, balance, growth and dividend graphs, and other data.
Profit/Lost - historical information about profitable and losing trades. It is divided by type of trading (manual, copy-trading and algo-trading), can be analysed in terms of trades, percentages or money by days, months and years.
Long/Short - report on Buy- and Sell-orders in specified time intervals.
Symbols - detailed analysis of deals by financial instruments. Ratio of the number of deals, comparison of different types of trading and historical data for individual symbols or whole groups.


This innovation will help traders of any level to trade more efficiently — the statistics section has been redesigned, now it is a serious tool for analysing your own trading history. Beginners and professionals will find in the updated section everything they need to optimise their portfolio. You will no longer need third-party services to monitor trading results: the necessary information is built into the platform and is available at a single click.

Right now the update is available only for the desktop version of the platform with an operating system not lower than Windows 10. In the nearest updates this feature will be added to the web and mobile versions of MetaTrader 5.

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HEATING FUEL PRICES

Dear clients,

Oil prices rose on Monday as investors focused on the prospects of tightening supply after Moscow imposed a temporary ban on fuel exports, but at the same time are wary of further rate hikes that could dampen demand.

Brent crude futures rose 69 cents, or 0.7%, to $93.96 a barrel by 06:46 GMT after falling 3 cents on Friday. West Texas Intermediate continued to rise for a second session and traded at $90.57 a barrel, up 54 cents, or 0.6%.

Both contracts went on a tear last week, breaking a three-week winning streak, after the Federal Reserve's hawkish stance caused concern in the global financial sector and boosted demand for oil.

Prices had risen more than 10% in the previous three weeks amid forecasts of a large oil supply deficit in the fourth quarter after Saudi Arabia and Russia extended additional supply cuts until the end of the year.

Moscow last week temporarily banned petrol and diesel exports to most countries to stabilise the domestic market, adding to fears of low supply of the commodity, especially heating oil, as the Northern Hemisphere enters winter.

In the US, despite higher prices, the number of active oil rigs fell by eight last week to 507, the lowest since February 2022, Baker Hughes showed in its weekly report on Friday.

Expectations of better economic data this week from China, the world's biggest oil importer, also helped boost sentiment. However, analysts said oil prices face technical resistance at the November 2022 highs reached last week.

According to analysts at Goldman Sachs, China's manufacturing sector is expected to return to growth in September, with the manufacturing business activity index expected to exceed the 50 mark for the first time since March.

On the positive side, Chinese oil demand rose 0.3 million bpd to 16.3 million last week, partly due to a gradual recovery in demand for jet fuel for international flights, they added.

"THERE'S NO HURRY": INDEX GAINS AMID MARKET SLOWDOWN

Dear clients,

Wall Street's major indices rose on Monday, including Amazon.com and energy stocks, as Treasury yields continued to rise and investors awaited economic data and speeches from Fed policymakers later in the week to get clarity on the future path of interest rates.

Investors are struggling with benchmark Treasury yields rising to 16-year highs after the Fed gave a hawkish outlook for long-term rates. The S&P 500 index rebounded Monday after last week's weekly decline was its biggest since March.

The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI) index rose 43.04 points, or 0.13%, to 34,006.88; the S&P 500 index (.SPX) added 17.38 points, or 0.40%, to 4,337.44; and the Nasdaq Composite index (.IXIC) added 59.51 points, or 0.45%, to 13,271.32.

With the end of the third quarter approaching, investors have noted that until companies report quarterly results in the coming weeks, market movement may be relatively muted.

The S&P 500 index is down about 5.5% since the end of July, but is up about 13% for 2023.

According to analysts, there is no need to actively buy pullbacks during a period when rates remain higher-for-longer, and that is what the market will have to deal with in the coming months.

Investors will be watching data throughout the week, including durable goods and personal consumption expenditure price index for August, gross domestic product for the second quarter, and speeches from Fed policymakers, including Chairman Jerome Powell.

Chicago Fed Chairman Austan Goolsbee told CNBC on Monday that keeping inflation above the Fed's 2% target remains a greater risk than the central bank's tight policy slowing the economy more than necessary.

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SEPTEMBER HARVEST

Dear clients,

September has come to an end, so it's time to share the results and recall the results of the first weeks of autumn.

So, here is what this month has brought to our traders:

GBPCAD, GBPNZD (Sell) and WTI, NZDCHF, CADCHF (Buy) ended up as the most profitable instruments.



The Heatmap  will tell you more about these and other instruments.

September, though traditionally quiet, was not without events:

Autumn was greeted with summer mood and double profit with Cashback+101% promotion.
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Metatrader 5 terminal has got an update, now with more efficient and visual statistics.


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QUARTERLY RETORT

Dear clients,

Budgetary concerns and fears of a prolonged period of higher interest rates caused government bonds to fall in the third quarter, and some investors believe more weakness lies ahead.

US and German government bond yields were set to end September with their biggest quarterly gains in a year. Fund managers had already hoped for relief after the historic losses suffered by bonds in 2022, when the US Federal Reserve and other central banks raised interest rates to curb soaring inflation.

While bond yields, which move inversely to prices, seemed to have peaked earlier this year, renewed hawkish sentiment from central banks has led to a fresh rise in recent weeks.

In the US, for example, the benchmark yield on 10-year Treasuries is currently at a 16-year high of 4.55% and some investors believe it could rise to 5%, a level not seen since 2007. According to Bank of America Global Research, Treasuries have posted their third consecutive year of losses, an event without precedent in U.S. history.

The jump in yields is having a negative impact on equities, which in the U.S. and Europe are poised for their first quarterly decline of the year. Monetary policy expectations have been a key factor: last week, the Fed surprised investors with its hawkish rate forecasts, according to which borrowing costs will remain at current levels for most of 2024.

Investors had to quickly readjust: traders are now betting that the Fed Funds rate, currently at 5.25%-5.50%, will fall to 4.8% by the end of 2024, well above the 4.3% they forecast in late August.

Similarly, investors have pushed back expectations of a rate cut by the European Central Bank as policymakers stick to their course of keeping rates high for a long time. Prices in currency markets indicate that traders see the ECB deposit rate at around 3.5% by the end of 2024, up from 3.25% at the end of August.

Rising yields have not only hit bond investors, but also hurt equities, creating investment competition while raising the cost of borrowing for corporations and households.

The S&P 500 index (.SPX) fell 3.4% in the current quarter, its worst drop in a year, though it is up 11.3% since the beginning of the year. Europe's Stoxx 600 index (.STOXX), meanwhile, is up 5.6% this year but has lost 2.9% over the past three months.

OIL BOIL: A POWERFUL SURGE IN FUEL PRICES

Dear clients,

Oil prices hit one-year highs on Thursday, while global equities faced their longest losing streak in two years as fears of continued high interest rates intensified. This is causing investors to seek shelter under the influence of a rising US dollar.

Currency markets saw a brief respite from the dollar's strength, but it was a significant drop in US crude oil inventories on Wednesday that shook nerves over fears of another supply shock just when the global economy needs it least.

The price of U.S. crude hit $95 a barrel for the first time since August 2022, while Brent crude prices rallied again in early trading in London after hitting a one-year high of $97.69.

The yield on ten-year US Treasuries, the benchmark for global borrowing costs, topped 4.6% for the first time since 2007, having started September at 4%.

Germany's AAA bond yields went up again, while Italy's announcement on Wednesday that its budget deficit was widening again drove its short-term two-year bond yield to a new 11-year high. Traders were also watching U.S. lawmakers try to avoid another government shutdown in Washington.

With European stocks down 0.4% (.STOXX) and U.S. futures on the S&P 500 index, MSCI's main global index tracking 45 countries was on track for a 10th straight day of declines not seen since 2021.

MSCI's index for Asia-Pacific shares hit a 10-month low and Japan's Nikkei index fell 1.5% as investors preparing for the end of Q3 got rid of stocks that have run out of dividends.

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"THE END OF AN ERA."

Dear clients,

The US bond market is marking the occasion: the era of low interest rates and inflation that began with the 2008 financial crisis is over. What will follow is still unclear.

That market view has become clearer in recent days amid a surge in 10-year Treasury yields to a 16-year high.

According to investors and the New York Fed's regularly updated yield-based model, the betting behind the move is that the disinflationary processes that the Federal Reserve has fought with easy-money policies since the financial crisis have tapered off.

Instead, investors believe investors have concluded that the U.S. economy is probably now in what one regional Fed chairman described as a "high-pressure equilibrium" characterised by inflation above the Fed's 2% target, low unemployment and positive growth.

This important shift in the outlook for rates has profound implications for policymakers, businesses, and the public. The shift to higher and more protracted rates could be painful and manifest itself in failed business models, unaffordable homes and cars. It could also force the Fed to keep raising rates until another failure occurs, as the three regional US banks did in March.

The Fed's market model for decomposing the 10-year Treasury yield into its components provides additional insight into investors' thinking.

In recent days, one component of yields — a measure of the reward investors demand for lending money for the long term — turned positive for the first time since June 2021, according to the ACM model.

The rise in the short-term rate also reflects confidence that structural shifts - from de-globalisation to declining productivity and an aging population - have raised the elusive theoretical interest rate at which growth neither accelerates nor slows and full employment exists at stable prices. It is called the neutral rate, or r-star.

While the market seems confident that the era of zero interest rates is over, it is much less confident about the real prospects for the economy.

The neutral rate, for example, determines whether the Fed Funds rate will slow or stimulate the economy, but no one really knows what the rate is really like until something breaks. Estimates vary widely.

The era of uncertainty has also arrived among monetary policymakers. A San Francisco Fed survey in August, which developed an index to gauge the level of disagreement among policymakers about their economic forecasts, showed that by June it had risen to a level higher than the pre-pandemic average.

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THE OTHER TIP OF THE SCALES. GOLDMAN SACHS ON TECH STOCKS

Dear clients,

According to Goldman Sachs strategists, strong earnings results to be released soon could reverse the decline in technology and growth stocks, which have been hurt by rising Treasury yields and, according to one report, are trading at their lowest levels in six years.

The so-called "Magnificent Seven" — Apple, Microsoft, Amazon.com, Alphabet, Nvidia, Tesla and Meta Platforms — have fallen 7% over the past couple of months, compared with a 3% decline for the S&P 500 index as a whole, as Treasury yields jumped more than 60 basis points to 16-year highs.

Those declines have caused forward price-to-earnings ratios for companies to fall 20% over the past two months, leaving them trading at the largest discount to the market based on long-term growth since January 2017, Goldman Sachs said in a note on 1 October. At the same time, group sales growth is expected to be 11% in the third quarter, compared with 1% for the S&P 500 index, the company said.

Goldman strategists said the "megacaps" have collectively beaten consensus forecasts for sales growth 81% of the time and exceeded earnings expectations in two-thirds of the seasons since the fourth quarter of 2016.

"The divergence between lowering estimates and improving fundamentals presents new opportunities for investors," they wrote.

The S&P 500 index has fallen nearly 5% over the past 10 trading days, but is up just over 11% since the start of the year.

MARKET JUSTICE

Dear clients,

Growing fears among bond investors about US government spending and the ballooning budget deficit are fuelling a sharp sell-off that has seen Treasury bond prices fall to 17-year lows.

So-called "bond vigilantes" — investors who punish profligate governments by selling their bonds and driving up yields — were a feature of markets in the 1990s, when concerns about US federal spending drove Treasury bond yields as high as 8%.

The expectation of a sharp increase in the US government budget deficit and the issuance of debt to cover those costs alarmed investors and brought the term back into Wall Street's everyday lexicon.

Fitch Ratings recently downgraded the country's credit rating, predicting that the US budget deficit will rise to 6.3% of gross domestic product this year from 3.7% in 2022 due to higher debt service costs, new spending initiatives and lower federal revenues.

While the Fed's hawkish interest rate outlook has been a major catalyst for yields and price impact, market participants attribute part of the decline in longer maturity bond yields to investor concerns about rising costs.

Yields on 30-year US Treasuries, which change inversely with prices, jumped to 5% on Wednesday for the first time since 2007 in a broad global bond sell-off before stabilising. Budget concerns have been mounting since the summer, when the Treasury announced plans to increase debt issuance.

Strategist Ed Yardeni, who introduced bond vigilantes in the early 1980s, has commented:

"Bond vigilantes are defying (Treasury Secretary Janet) Yellen's policy by raising bond yields to levels that threaten to trigger a debt crisis," he wrote in a Financial Times article Wednesday. "In this scenario, rising yields crowd out the private sector and trigger a credit crunch and recession."

Determined investors in the UK bonds last year helped bring about a policy reversal after a tax cut plan caused borrowing costs to soar, showing that bond vigilantes are still a force to be reckoned with.

However, not all investors believe that the "vigilantes" will be able to influence the $25 trillion Treasury market.

Experts believe the key driver of the sell-off is rate fears, not the supply of Treasuries. They believe some fund managers are waiting for yields to peak before acting. The recent sell-off has brought yields back to pre-financial crisis norms, which has increased the attractiveness of bonds in general and boosted investor returns.

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TRADING SIGNALS: NFP FOR SEPTEMBER

Dear clients,

On October 6, we are expecting the publication of data on Nonfarm Payroll, a measure of U.S. manufacturing employment. The report significantly affects the movement of the US dollar and related instruments.

What indicators are expected this time, let's find out from our expert:

ISM's leading employment indicators point to the release of positive Non-Farm Employment data, which is favourable for the US dollar growth, as in this case the US Federal Reserve may raise interest rates at its November 1 meeting. On Friday consider selling GBPUSD, AUDUSD, XAUUSD, #NQ100.

Support your account and double your funds with 101% bonus 

THE INTERLUDE

Dear clients,

The lull in bond sales lasted until Friday, but is unlikely to persist until the end of the day as investors await US employment data, which could bolster the case for keeping interest rates high for some time.

Oil's transition from a sharp rise to a fall also provided a respite, with Brent crude futures at $84.50 a barrel, about $13, or 13.5%, cheaper than last week's 11-month high.

MSCI's index of Asia-Pacific shares rose 0.9%. Tokyo's Nikkei (.N225) index was unchanged and currency markets were flat, although the dollar began a record 12th week of gains due to the bond slump.

The ten-year US Treasury yield held mercifully at 4.72% during the Asian session, but it climbed 55 basis points in the course of the five-week sell-off, weighing on bond markets and risk appetite globally.

However, no one was betting big until the release of US non-farm payrolls data at 12:30 GMT.

Another batch of bond sell-offs is likely to see the dollar continue its week-long winning streak, which is already the longest in history against the euro. The dollar index has risen for 12 consecutive weeks, repeating a streak that lasted from July to October 2014.

The rise has taken the euro at $1.0542 near an 11-month low and sterling near a seven-month trough. The dollar index was unchanged at 106.4 on Friday.

Surprisingly, only the beleaguered yen showed significant struggle as a sudden surge in the Japanese currency in London on Tuesday afternoon sparked speculation of government intervention.

Japanese money market data did not reveal any anomalies that could accompany intervention. However, the movement was notable enough to make traders wary.

The yen exchange rate was last seen remaining stable at 148.5 per dollar. Gold also remained steady at $1,822 an ounce after nine days of losses caused by rising global bond yields.

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