• July 12, 2024

Stocks open higher, oil prices rise for 3 straight days

Stocks (^DJI, ^IXIC, ^GSPC) open Friday's session higher, the S&P 500 eyeing to return above its benchmark high of 5,600. Treasury yields (^TYX, ^TNX, ^FVX) are reacting to this morning's Producer Price Index (PPI) inflation data. Seana Smith and Brad Smith recap index movements after the opening bell while Jared Blikre monitors the energy sector (XLE) and crude oil (CL=F, BZ=F) upward price momentums. For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Morning Brief. This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

  • July 12, 2024

Hong Kong Monetary Authority Announces Anti-Money Laundering Measures for Virtual Assets

According to Odaily, the Hong Kong Monetary Authority (HKMA) has issued a notice to banks and licensed stored value facility holders. The notice details the results of a meeting held last month by its Financial Action Task Force (FATF), identifying jurisdictions with strategic deficiencies in their systems for combating money laundering, terrorist financing, and proliferation financing.The HKMA stated that the FATF has completed its fifth targeted review of virtual assets and virtual asset service providers, implementing relevant anti-money laundering measures. The task force will continue to monitor market trends and watch for significant developments that may require further action. The report on this review will be published in the coming weeks.

  • July 11, 2024

US Federal Reserve's Daly Suggests Early Monetary Policy Relaxation

According to Odaily, Mary Daly, a representative of the US Federal Reserve, she expressed her growing confidence in the need for early relaxation of monetary policy during a phone conference with the media. This belief is based on recent inflation and employment data. 'Considering the information we have received so far, including data on employment, inflation, GDP growth, and economic prospects, I believe some policy adjustments may be necessary,' Daly stated. However, she declined to specify when she believes it would be appropriate for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates.Daly has publicly stated that she does not believe prescriptive forward guidance, including the number and timing of rate cuts, is the best approach at this critical time. She pointed out that the risks faced by the Federal Reserve's dual goals of price stability and full employment have been better balanced. She believes that monetary policy is taking effect, but there is still 'considerable uncertainty' about how the economy will develop.

  • July 11, 2024

US Federal Reserve Chairman Considers Rate Cuts Following Excellent Inflation Report

According to BlockBeats, on July 12, the Chairman of the US Federal Reserve in Chicago, Charles Evans, expressed that the inflation report for June was outstanding. He suggested that a rate cut or a series of rate cuts could be considered based on the data.Evans reassured that there is no need to panic about the unemployment situation as the job market is stable. He emphasized the importance of flexibility in policy decisions, stating that it is necessary to decide when to cut rates, rather than trying to predict the interest rate path for the next seven months.This statement indicates a potential shift in the Federal Reserve's approach to monetary policy, with a focus on responding to current economic conditions rather than attempting to forecast future trends. This could have significant implications for the US economy and financial markets.

  • July 11, 2024

Utilities and AI, Biden's no-recession term: Market Domination

It's full steam ahead for stocks (^DJI, ^IXIC, ^GSPC) seeking to close out the day after taking in Thursday morning's Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for the month of June. Julie Hyman and Josh Lipton have compiled the perfect itinerary of top industry movers and market themes for active investors in today's episode of Market Domination. The show starts off with Hennion & Walsh CIO Kevin Mahn outlining the next big sector that could play a pivot role in the AI trade: utilities (XLU) State Street Global Advisors chief economist Simona Mocuta explains where risks may still lie for US consumers in the current economic environment as Federal Reserve officials prepare to possible cut interest rates. Yahoo Finance senior columnist Rick Newman later comes onto the program to discuss how close President Biden is to completing his four-year term without a recession, and while the Fed nears its 2% inflation target to boot. Other top trending tickers on the Yahoo Finance platform include Delta Air Lines (DAL) since reporting second quarter earnings this morning; QuantumScape (QS) and Volkswagen (VOW.DE, VWAGY) after forming a partnership on lithium EV batteries; and Tesla (TSLA). This post was written by Luke Carberry Mogan.

  • July 11, 2024

The next big thing for AI will be utilities: Strategist

The AI trade keeps on spinning as Big Tech names continue to defy expectations and show they may have even more room to grow. These AI plays aren't only driving market indexes higher along with hardware demands, but also the need for energy to power this next generation of tech. Hennion & Walsh CIO Kevin Mahn joins Market Domination to give insights into artificial intelligence themes, why it has much more room to grow, and whether investors should start to consider utilities (XLU) as the next long-term play for AI. "No one's looked at utilities for the better part of the last three years as [interest] rates have risen. Guess what happens as rates come down? All of a sudden, that utility that pays 4.5, 5% looks pretty attractive again. And it's also another way to play the AI game, remembering that these data centers that power all of these massive algorithms in AI, they rely upon utilities that supply the electricity solutions that they need." He follows that sentiment up by stating: "So I think there's another good way to play in those areas of the market that still are trading at attractive valuations, pay good dividends, can weather an economic slowdown, and will offer more upside, perhaps even more so than what we've seen from technology already." For more expert insight and the latest market action, click here to watch this full episode of Market Domination. This post was written by Nicholas Jacobino