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MAY 8, 2023

FED’S OPTIMISM DESPITE CHALLENGES AHEAD

The Federal Reserve Chair, Jerome Powell, has expressed optimism about the ability of U.S. economy to avoid recession despite concerns about challenges ahead. Recent positive results on jobs data showed that U.S. labour markets are helping the economy stay afloat. However, these interest rates are still required to be high to control inflation, something that could escalate the likelihood of a recession. Powell’s optimistic view relies heavily on overcoming three significant challenges: banking, politics, and the weather, all of which could lead to a downturn later this year. If this happens, the Fed may not be able to do much to stop it.

REGIONAL BANKS’ RESILIENT RISE

PacWest Bancorp has experienced a rise of 16% following its strong rebound last Friday. The company reported to have reduced its quarterly dividend and confirmed the stability of its operations. This success was shared by other regional banks such as Western Alliance Bancorp and Zions Bancorp, which recovered from previous poor performance fueled by growing concerns over the financial system’s stability.

OIL PRICES RISE

Oil prices rose as investors assessed the outlook for crude demand following a period of uncertain trading. The price of West Texas Intermediate increased towards $72 a barrel after gaining over 4% last Friday. Despite concerns about a potential U.S. recession and bank failures, physical demand indicators suggest that a recent slump in prices may have been exaggerated. Analysts, including Daan Struyven from Goldman Sachs Group Inc., believe that recent decreases were caused by a big sell-off influenced by financial markets. However, global oil market is expected to experience “large deficits” later this year, suggesting higher oil prices.

HEDGE FUNDS’ BETS AGAINST TREASURY BONDS

Hedge funds made big bets that prices of Treasury bonds would fall, reaching historic levels just days before the turmoil worsened. Leveraged funds increased their belief that bond futures would decrease, making it the seventh week in a row of negative bets. This led to a spike in demand for the safest assets, including U.S. Treasuries, and a spike in prices. However, better-than-expected U.S. jobs data caused this sentiment to change again, resulting in higher yields.

KEY EVENTS HAPPENING THIS WEEK

Monday: Earnings report for PayPal.

Tuesday: Speeches from Fed Governor Phillip N. Jefferson and Fed’s New York president John Williams, and U.S. Energy Information Administration’s short-term report.

Wednesday: Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for April, and earnings reports for Walt Disney Company and Toyota.

Thursday: Producer Price Index (PPI) report for April, speech from Fed Governor Christopher Wallet regarding financial stability, and OPEC’s monthly report.

Friday: Import Price Index and preliminary Consumer Sentiment reports for April and May, respectively, and Fed Governor Philip N. Jefferson’s discussion on monetary policy strategy.

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