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TRADING SIGNALS: JULY INFLATION IN THE USA
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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
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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.
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SAVED BY THE GAVEL: BITCOIN'S STARK REVERSAL
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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
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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
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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
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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.
Message the support team the promo code — HOT, choose the cashback plan that suits you, and get an additional bonus for your deposit.
More amount, more bonus, more benefits! Increase your volumes and get even more net profit.
Terms of promotion:
1. Within the framework of the promotion, new clients of the company can be eligible for a 101% bonus on the first deposit to the trading account with the Cashback promotion enabled.
2. You can take advantage of the offer within 7 days after registration with the company.
3. To participate in the promotion you need to:
3.1. Register and open a trading account;
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.
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.
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RATIO'D. UPDATED FORECASTS FROM MOODY'S
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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
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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
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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
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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%.
INVIGORATE YOUR TRADING WITH A POWERFUL DUAL OFFER
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Dear clients,
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.
More funds — more trading volume and a higher chance of a big profit! And every week, the funds from trades will be returned to your balance within Cashback promotion.
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Done! You can trade in full force, open your best trades and get profit.
Terms of promotion:
1. Within the promotion, new clients of the company can be eligible for a 101% bonus on the first deposit to the trading account with the Cashback promotion enabled.
2. You can take advantage of the offer within 7 days after registration with the company.
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;
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.
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
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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?
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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!
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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.