US indices slumped yesterday with Dow Jones dropping 2.42% and breaking below 30,000 pts mark. S&P 500 declined 3.25%, Nasdaq dropped 4.08% and Russell 2000 slumped 4.70%
Asian indices moved lower today, reacting to yesterday’s sell-off in Europe and the United States. Nikkei dropped 1.5%, S&P/ASX 200 moved 2% lower and Kospi traded 0.5% down. Indices from China traded around 1% higher
DAX futures point to a slightly higher opening of today’s European cash session
Moods on the global markets deteriorated yesterday after the Swiss National Bank delivered a surprise 50 bp rate hike. While Swiss rates are still negative, such an unexpected and big hike from one of the most dovish central banks in the world sent a clear signal to the markets
SNB hike yesterday triggered rumors that the Bank of Japan may also tighten policy unexpectedly today. However, BoJ left rates and monetary policy settings unchanged – in-line with broad market expectations
The Japanese yen is the worst performing major currency after the BoJ decided to stay on hold. USDJPY reached a daily high near 134.60 following the decision but has given back some gains since
US Energy Secretary Graham is set to meet with executives of refining companies next week. Discussions will be held on lower gas prices
Cryptocurrencies are trading higher. Bitcoin gains 1% and trades near $21,000. Ethereum trades 0.2% higher on the day near $1,100
Oil trades slightly higher
Precious metals pull back amid USD strength. Palladium is an exception as it trades 1.5% higher on the day
USD and CAD are the best performing major currencies while JPY and GBP lag the most
AUDJPY rallied today with the pair testing the 94.60 resistance zone, shortly after BoJ policy announcement. The zone is marked with 23.6% retracement of the most recent major upward impulse and 50-session moving average (green line). Bulls failed to push the price above this hurdle and the pair started to trim gains. A 94.00 price zone should be seen as a potential short-term support.