Author: Daniel Chang

The U.S. dollar softened slightly on Friday but remained on course for its strongest weekly performance in a month. Investor optimism about the U.S. economy’s ability to outperform global peers has bolstered the currency, driven by expectations of relatively higher interest rates and strong economic fundamentals. A robust labor market and persistently high inflation have pushed Treasury yields higher in recent weeks, increasing the appeal of the dollar. Anticipation of new policies under the incoming Trump administration, including deregulation, tax cuts, immigration reforms, and tariffs, has added to expectations of economic growth and inflationary pressures. The dollar index fell by…

The upcoming week is packed with significant developments in the financial world. Investors will keep an eye on U.S. labor market data, Federal Reserve meeting minutes, speeches from key Fed officials, and inflation reports from the Eurozone and China. Additionally, U.S. markets will be closed on Thursday to honor former President Jimmy Carter. Here’s what’s on the horizon: U.S. Jobs ReportFriday’s employment report is projected to show that the U.S. economy added 154,000 jobs in December, with the unemployment rate remaining steady at 4.2%. This follows a rebound in November, where 227,000 jobs were added after a weaker October performance,…

The British pound began the new year on a weak footing, continuing its historical trend of losses on the first trading day after New Year’s Day. This marks the seventh consecutive year where sterling has fallen on this day, a pattern that Deutsche Bank (ETR:DBKGn) analysts highlighted in their recent commentary. The pound dropped by over one percent during the session, adding to a broader historical trend. According to Deutsche Bank’s analysis, sterling has achieved positive returns on the first trading day in only three of the past twenty years. Similar patterns have been observed in the Euro versus the…

Tesla Inc. (NASDAQ:TSLA) reported record-breaking vehicle deliveries and energy storage deployments for the fourth quarter, but its delivery numbers fell short of market expectations, leading to a 6.1% drop in its stock price by the end of Thursday’s trading session. In the fourth quarter, Tesla delivered 495,570 vehicles, below the consensus estimate of 512,277. Analysts from Bernstein and RBC had forecasted delivery expectations ranging between 500,000 and 520,000 units. The company also produced approximately 459,000 vehicles during the same period. Deliveries for the Model 3 and Model Y models accounted for 471,930 units, with the remaining 23,640 deliveries coming from…

Tesla shares experienced a significant decline of 8.3% on Wednesday, leading a broad downturn in the U.S. stock market following the Federal Reserve’s latest policy updates. Broadcom also faced a steep drop, with its shares falling 6.9%. Meanwhile, NVIDIA despite an early surge of over 5% ended the day down 1.1%. Both Tesla and Broadcom had seen notable gains in recent weeks, but investor sentiment shifted sharply after the Federal Reserve’s announcement of a 0.25% interest rate cut. While the reduction brought the federal funds rate to a target range of 4.25%-4.50%, the central bank’s signals of a slower pace…

Mexico’s peso experienced its steepest annual depreciation against the U.S. dollar since the global financial crisis of 2008, dropping nearly 23% in 2025. The currency closed the year’s final trading session at 20.82 pesos per dollar, marking a dramatic turnaround from earlier gains. The peso began the year with months of steady appreciation, reaching a nine-year high of 16.26 pesos per dollar in April. This upward momentum was largely driven by market optimism ahead of June’s general election. However, the currency’s fortunes reversed sharply following the election results, which saw the ruling Morena party secure a decisive victory, consolidating power…

Wells Fargo (NYSE:WFC) has unveiled its key market predictions for 2025, offering insights into anticipated economic trends, market dynamics, technological advancements, and geopolitical shifts. The bank’s outlook highlights expectations for economic growth, industry changes, and evolving investor sentiment in the upcoming year. These predictions offer a comprehensive overview of Wells Fargo’s vision for the year ahead, providing a roadmap for investors and businesses navigating the dynamic global market landscape.

The Turkish lira weakened further on Monday, becoming the worst-performing currency among emerging markets, following remarks by President Recep Tayyip Erdogan that reignited concerns over his unconventional approach to monetary policy. The lira slipped 0.6% against the U.S. dollar, deepening its year-to-date decline to roughly 16%. In contrast, the MSCI Emerging Market Currency Index remained stable on Monday and has seen only a slight decrease for 2024. President Erdogan stated that interest rates would “definitely decrease next year” and referred to 2025 as a pivotal year for economic policies. His remarks came after the Turkish central bank implemented its first…

Tesla is expected to reveal its fourth-quarter 2024 delivery numbers on January 2, according to a report by UBS. Analysts at the firm predict Tesla will deliver approximately 510,000 vehicles, reflecting a 5% increase year-over-year and a 10% rise compared to the previous quarter. This estimate is slightly below the Visible Alpha consensus of 512,000 but falls within investor expectations, which range from 500,000 to 510,000 vehicles. UBS analysts pointed out that, due to Tesla’s evolving AI-driven strategy, delivery numbers may not carry the same weight in influencing the company’s stock performance as they have in the past. Beyond vehicle…

In light holiday trading on Tuesday, the U.S. dollar edged higher, reflecting market sentiment shaped by the Federal Reserve’s anticipated cautious approach to cutting interest rates compared to other central banks worldwide. Since late September, the greenback has surged over 7%, driven by expectations of accelerated U.S. economic growth under President-elect Donald Trump’s policies. Persistent inflation, however, has tempered predictions of aggressive rate reductions by the Fed. This outlook contrasts sharply with forecasts for other global economies, where slower growth and divergent interest rate policies have widened rate differentials, further bolstering the dollar’s appeal. Last week, the Federal Reserve projected…