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EUR/USD: US dollar's victory is not an indication of the euro's decline



The US dollar started the year on a positive note, pulling the European currency upward, which is on the verge of falling again. At the same time, it seems that the never-ending imbalance in the EUR/USD pair is not an annoying misunderstanding, but an important step towards its further development.

January 2022 started with sharp growth for the US currency amid expectations of an increase in the Fed's key rate and curtailment of stimulus. Market quotes have already incorporated the Fed's key measures – the first rate hike by May and two more at the end of 2022. Later, the US dollar was expected to decline moderately, which did not affect the overall optimistic picture. At the same time, the dollar index has shown impressive daily gains for the last two months. A sharp rise in the yields of long-term US Treasury bonds, which increased by 12.5 points, reaching a record of 1.642%, primarily supported the US dollar. This is the highest figure since the end of November 2021.

On another note, the Euro currency has to defend its positions again in order not to be an outsider. European markets started the week with a moderate rise, gaining about 1%. On Tuesday morning, the euro traded around the level of 1.1306, exceeding the weekly low of 1.1279. The EUR/USD pair was moving around the range of 1.1303-1.1304, striving for new highs, but later lost its positions along the way.



Analysts said that the EUR/USD pair temporarily found itself in a bear trap at the beginning of the week but managed to get out of it. However, there is still bearish pressure on Tuesday, leaving the pair vulnerable to market volatility. Based on preliminary calculations, the temporary resistance line in the EUR/USD pair is located near 1.1398 (55-day SMA), and the next resistance level is at 1.1430. Its breakdown will significantly weaken the bearish pressure. The implementation of such a scenario in the short term will help the pair to reach new peaks.

Barclays Bank analysts stated that the aggressive scenario of rate hikes in the US is strong support for the US currency. Currency strategists assess such a development as the most likely. An additional catalyst for such growth may be the minutes of the Fed's December meeting, which is expected to be published this week. According to experts, this will clarify the issue of raising rates by the Fed and the timing of stabilization of its balance sheet. On Friday, the Nonfarm Payrolls report will be released in the United States, demonstrating the change in the number of people employed in the non-agricultural sector of the country. Positive data will support the US dollar, which will pull up the euro again.

Many analysts are asking questions: is the current difficulties of the euro amid a winning US dollar a pattern? The situation is developing as it should, and so, will the periodic imbalances arising in the EUR/USD pair will not cause damage to the euro? The answer is yes at the moment. However, a moderately calm situation may completely change, and then the fragile balance in the EUR/USD pair will be disturbed.

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What kind of shocking surprise can gold present this year?



Gold's price increased yesterday, despite the growth of the US dollar and the yield on US government bonds. Some experts believe that it will bring such pleasant surprises more than once in 2022.

On Tuesday, prices for the precious metal closed higher despite the above-mentioned reasons. The dollar index rose by 0.1% against its major competitors. The indicator reached 96.286 points.

The growth of the US dollar was facilitated by the rapid dynamics of US debt securities. Yesterday, the yield on 2-year government bonds reached its highest in 22 months and amounted to 0.796%. The strengthening of expectations of the Fed's more aggressive policy acted as support.

On January 4, the CEO of the Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis, Neel Kashkari, said that the rate of growth in prices in the United States exceeded the forecast and that the acceleration of inflation was longer than economists expected. In this regard, the official believes that the Central Bank of America will raise interest rates this year twice, and not thrice.

The hawkish comments put some pressure on gold quotes. However, the yellow asset found strong support from economic data.

The Institute for Supply Management released a report on the level of business activity in the US manufacturing sector on Tuesday. According to statistics, the PMI in December fell to 58.7 from 61.1 recorded in the previous month. This is the lowest growth rate in almost a year. Economists had expected the indicator to be 60.

According to analysts, the slowdown in US business activity provoked a new strain of COVID-19. This is a very favorable factor for gold, which is traditionally perceived by investors as a safe haven asset. Meanwhile, Omicron infections continue to rise in America. Another record was reported at the beginning of the week: the figure was 1,083,948 new cases, Johns Hopkins University reported.

Coronavirus news remains a powerful trigger for this precious metal. Gold is growing as stricter restrictions are introduced in some countries due to the Omicron strain.

So, yesterday, February gold futures rose in price by 0.8%, or $ 14.50. At the close of the session, it traded at $ 1,814.60. Most experts believe that at this stage, the precious metal retains the potential to rise in the short term.



There is also an opinion that gold will rise in the future. Analysts Byron Wien and Joe Zidle are confident that the yellow asset will begin to regain its status soon as the main hedge instrument against inflation. They stated this in the article "10 surprises of 2022".

Interestingly, the publication appeared after gold showed the worst annual figure in 6 years, falling by 3.6% in 2021.

An unexpected forecast for 2022 suggests that investors will seek protection from problematic and more persistent inflation in the yellow asset. This will allow gold to rally to a new all-time high, even though the metal will continue to compete with cryptocurrencies.

B. Wien and J. Zidle expect gold prices to rise by 20% over the course of the year. If their scenario comes true, gold will trade at $ 2,160. Experts themselves estimate the probability of their prediction being fulfilled at more than 50%.

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Fed's hawkish comments resulted in gold's decline



Omicron continues to set records, rapidly spreading across the planet. Against this background, investors are looking for protection from gold. The value of the precious metal sharply increased on Wednesday.

Yesterday, the yellow asset continued its upward movement and rose for the second session in a row. Compared to its growth of 0.8% gold surged by 0.6% during the middle of the week. The increase in monetary terms was $ 10.50, and the final price was $ 1,825.10.



The rise in quotes was facilitated by the decline in key US stock indices and the weakening of the US dollar. So, during trading, the NASDAQ Composite indicator plummeted by more than 1%, and the US dollar fell by 0.4% against its main competitors.

The increase in cases with the new strain of COVID-19 exerted pressure on the indicators. On the other hand, analyst Lukman Otunuga notes that the alarming coronavirus statistics accelerated the flight of investors to a safe place – to the gold market.

Amid increased coronavirus risk, the precious metal showed impressive dynamics yesterday, but the celebration did not last long.

Following the close of trading, the minutes of the Fed's meeting on monetary policy issues in December was published. Hawkish comments by officials of the US central bank brought down gold prices to a 2-week low.

Fed officials noted that a strong economic recovery and high inflation in the US may require an earlier and faster-than-expected rate hike.

According to the updated data, the US regulator expects real GDP to increase by 4% over the next 12 months. The PCE inflation forecast was raised from 2.2% to 2.6% in 2022.

At the same time, the updated dot chart showed that amid record inflation, Fed officials intend to raise interest rates by three-quarters of a point this year.

According to analyst Brien Lundin, any hint that the first rate increase will happen earlier is actually not bearish, but bullish for gold.

The expert draws attention to the fact that the precious metal often rises when the Fed rates increase. Therefore, the initial rate hike in December 2015 ended a long bearish trend in the gold market. After that, the asset showed a confident positive trend for several months.

Now, investors are waiting for the Fed to comment on Omicron's impact on the economy. This could happen as early as next week, as Jerome Powell is due to address the US Senate Banking Committee in a meeting on his re-nomination as head of the central bank.

If the Fed chairman's excitement over a new strain of coronavirus turns out to be high, the price of the precious metal will soar. Otherwise, we are waiting for a further drop in quotes.

However, gold's movement in the short term may be affected by statistics from the US labor market. The US employment report will be published tomorrow. According to economists' forecasts, the number of new jobs in the US in December will amount to 422 thousand. This is almost 2 times more than in November. If the expectations are met, the yellow asset will most likely continue to decline.

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Gold has good prospects in the long-term



Gold suddenly went out of the way after starting 2022 positively. However, experts consider the current fall short-term, expecting the yellow metal to rise in the long term. The current.

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Forex Analysis & Reviews: Dollar still dominates other major currencies



Europe's single currency cannot outperform the US dollar. This was stated by Steen Jakobsen, chief investment officer at Saxo Bank. One of the main reasons is that the European regulator is the most static central bank in the world. Thus, the European Union's benchmark interest rate has remained at zero for quite some time, i.e. has not changed since March 2016. Furthermore, ECB head Christine Lagarde sees no reason to raise interest rates in 2022.

According to Eurostat, Euro area annual inflation rose to 4.9% in November, the highest in 25 years. Jakobsen believes that the EU economy can grow faster than the economies of other countries or show a current account surplus. The surplus is falling due to obvious difficulties in the services sector. This also applies to Germany, the eurozone's largest economy.

As for the US dollar, according to the SWIFT, it was still able to hold onto its position as the main currency in the international settlement ranking in November. Thus, the US dollar gained 39.16%. That means it rose by 1.53% in 12 months. It has strengthened due to the widening interest rate gap as well as inflation dynamics in the US compared to other major markets such as Japan and Europe.

The euro was clearly underperforming. It gained 37.66%, with a year-on-year increase of only 0.22%. Among the leaders were the British pound, Japanese yen, and Chinese renminbi.

A monetary tightening by the US Federal Reserve, which is expected by analysts in March, will give the dollar the strongest support, making it extremely difficult for most currencies to rise against the US dollar in the coming months.

It is the interest rate differential, not the coronavirus, that will determine sentiment in the major currency markets in the near future. The vast majority of analysts polled by Reuters are confident that fluctuations in the currency markets will become noticeably greater over the next three months. Notably, this confidence applies not only to the currencies of the major markets but also to emerging market currencies.

After an interest rate hike already in the first month of spring, the US regulator is expected to start reducing its assets. The dollar could then feel superior to the other major currencies. By the way, financial markets expect at least three rate hikes in the US this year.

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Is the EUR/USD pair preparing for a new battle?



Some analysts explain the short-term lull in the EUR/USD pair by grouping before a new surge. First of all, this concerns the US dollar, in the shadow of which the euro resides.

The US currency started the current year with a rise and is trying to consolidate in an upward trend. It already succeeds in this without huge efforts, contrary to the euro, which is still lying low. However, the US dollar remained inactive, weakly reacting to what was happening. On Tuesday morning, the EUR/USD pair was trading at the level of 1.1341. The pair is now dominated by a bullish mood, which can change anytime. The possible targets for the bulls are 1.1364, 1.1385, and 1.1442.

Currently, the US dollar is moving in the middle of the current range against major world currencies, as markets are waiting for the Fed's decisions on the timing and pace of normalization of monetary policy. The regulator keeps the markets in suspense, continuing the "hawkish" strategy launched at the end of December 2021. Experts are worried about the Fed's excessive enthusiasm, which is ready to use every fund to curb the powerful inflation.

Amid the Federal Reserve's high activity, the smoother actions of the ECB seem unnecessarily slow. Analysts fear that the European regulator will lose time to normalize the economic situation in the region. This development of events will seriously weaken the euro, which somewhat looks neglected right now. Experts consider Europe's sharp rise in gas prices to be an additional negative factor for the euro. The strengthening of this trend contributes to the further decline of the euro and the strengthening of its rival in the EUR/USD pair. After all, the US currency is given a head start in anticipation of a rate hike in March 2022 and an accelerated transition to cut stimulus.

The cycle of key rate hikes launched by the Fed in the middle of this year will clearly strengthen the US currency. According to experts, the main factors that support it are the tightening of monetary policy and the potential outflow of capital from emerging markets. It can be recalledd that the continued stimulus from the regulator and the negative US trade balance contribute to the weakening of the US dollar. Analysts said that the US dollar strengthening is impossible without tightening monetary policy.

The current instability in the world is pushing experts to negative forecasts. Many of them admit that currency battles will emerge in the near future. The implementation of such a scenario will lead to the devaluation of national currencies in relation to foreign ones. The "core" of such a war can be the US dollar, around which the entire financial world revolves. It is possible that this currency will take the victory again or share the throne with the euro. Moreover, excessive inflation could be the catalyst for the financial battle. According to analysts, the EUR/USD pair is highly likely to converge on the global markets.

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Did the Fed cause the US dollar to collapse?



The US dollar dropped after the Fed's statements about the duration of the normalization of monetary policy. During this process, the indicated currency risks losing its advantages as the main safe-haven currency.

On Wednesday, the US currency collapsed to its lowest level since November 2021. The main reason for this was the statements of Fed Chairman Jerome Powell, who allowed a gradual increase in interest rates amid the continuous high inflation in the United States. The regulator's management believes that it will take several months to make a decision to cut the central bank's balance sheet by $ 9 trillion.

In a similar situation, this currency found itself in a slight stupor state, trying to cope with the current losses. Powell's statements that the US economy "does not need aggressive monetary stimulus measures" exerted additional pressure. The central bank is ready to start normalizing monetary policy, but this process will take time. During the speech of the Fed chairman, the markets expected to find signals about the possible timing of the first rate hike. However, the situation remained unclear, as the head of the regulator stressed that the Fed did not focus on the timing of amendments to the monetary policy and did not make decisions on reducing the balance sheet.

The tension of the general background of the global financial market shocked the US dollar. On Wednesday morning, the EUR/USD pair was in the range of 1.1373-1.1374. At the same time, the Euro currency has slightly risen since the close of the previous session, in which it was trading at the level of 1.1364.

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EUR/USD: Euro's gradual movements are more effective than the US dollar's surges



The US currency, which has fallen again after some macro statistics, finds it difficult to maintain balance in the EUR/USD pair. On the other hand, the euro is having a hard time keeping up with the US dollar, so it prefers to move slowly but surely towards achieving its goal.

Currently, the market is evaluating the US inflation data released yesterday. According to the report, consumer prices in the country in December 2021 increased by 0.5%, accelerating to 7% year-on-year. The key index gained 0.6% over the month, rising to 5.5% year-on-year. As for the prices excluding energy carriers and food, more than 1.7% was added in three months.

Based on the data obtained, economists concluded that high inflation penetrates into the very core of the economy. In this situation, the Fed has no choice but to raise interest rates in March 2022. The regulator fears not only soaring inflation but also the "overheated" US labor market. The Fed officials consider high inflation a significant threat to a full economic recovery, so they are ready to raise interest rates since there is no longer a need for emergency monetary support.

As a response to the published macro data, the US dollar sharply declined. It is worth noting that the EUR/USD pair passed through the upper border of the range 1.1200-1.1350 again before the release of the report. To date, the upward movement of the pair continues. The EUR/USD pair rose by 0.5% immediately after the release of inflation data, leaving the level of 1.1400 behind. On Thursday morning, it was trading at the level of 1.1444, trying to break new borders.

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US dollar is trying to resist the decline amid statistics and high inflation



The US currency has to fight the collapse again at the end of the week, resisting the negative impact of several factors, including the problem of macro statistics. Nevertheless, experts are confident that it will recover without much loss.

For a long time, this currency remains hostage to high US inflation. It can be recalled that the December macro statistics showed the highest core inflation over the past 40 years. The recent US CPI excluding food and energy in annual terms was 5.5%, which is higher than November's 4.9%. Current macro reports have shown that the expectation of the Fed's decisive action has reached a peak. The current situation practically sharply affected the US dollar, which is trying to resist the impact of negative factors.

It has now suffered significant losses, including a key technical breakthrough in the EUR/USD pair. On Thursday, the classic pair broke the resistance line around 1.1386, which limited the actions of the EUR/USD pair since November 2021. The reason for this is the sharp weakening of the US currency, recorded after the release of the December CPI. On Friday morning, the EUR/USD pair was trading at the level of 1.1477, trying to keep its won positions.

Experts consider the level of 1.1500 to be the next important resistance area for the pair. This is the previous low of the EUR/USD pair recorded before its massive collapse last November. The current situation is much the same. Today, the US dollar hit its biggest weekly drop in eight months. The reason for this is a sharp reduction in long positions on the USD and the markets taking into account several Fed rate hikes in its price.

According to analysts, expectations of decisive action from the Fed do not matter much for the US dollar. Earlier, the US currency collapsed amid a sharp rise in the price of a number of commodities. The only "trump card" it has now will be another search for a safe haven if risk sentiment changes dramatically. The dynamics of this currency are significantly affected by inflation, and most often negatively. The Fed keeps the need to outpace its growth, and this tension has a negative impact on the American currency.

However, many experts are optimistic about the US dollar's medium and long-term prospects. Specialists believe that it will systematically strengthen, alternating ups and downs. Analysts summarize that this is facilitated by the continued growth of commodities and the global asset market.

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Forex Analysis & Reviews: Elliott wave analysis of GBP/JPY for January 17, 2022



The corrective consolidation is now complete and the underlying impulsive rally higher to our first target level of 160.54 is taking place. If bulls assert strength, GBP/JPY may go higher to our second target level of 163.39.

Keep the focus on the upside and a break above minor resistance at 157.69 for a continuation towards 160.54 and maybe even higher.

*The market analysis posted here is meant to increase your awareness, but not to give instructions to make a trade.

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Musk says Tesla to accept dogecoin

On Friday, Musk announced on Twitter that Tesla Inc would accept Dogecoin as payment for its products, such as the Giga Texas belt buckle and mini-model electric cars.



The news sent the value of Dogecoin soaring more than 14%. The move comes a month after Musk said Tesla would test out the digital token as a payment option.

Musk had already hit Bitcoin prices hard in the spring of 2021 with the same announcement, promising that the company would accept Bitcoins to buy its cars. However, he later changed his mind. So, some analysts believe this is Elon Musk's way of covering up the slump after the postponement of Cydertrack.

Thus, production of Tesla's much-anticipated Cybertruck will start in the first quarter of 2023, pushing back plans to start production in late 2022.

However, Tesla products, including the recently launched Cyberwhistle and Cyberquad for Kids, have been in steady demand and typically sell out within hours of being put up for sale, even when paid for in regular currencies. But some analysts are predicting a new surge in popularity for Tesla merchandise once token payment is introduced.

Due to Musk's tweets about Dogecoin, the little-known digital currency, which began as a social media joke, has become one of the most recognizable and well-growing tokens. Its price has risen by around 4,000% in 2021.

Last year, Tesla said it had bought $1.5 billion worth of Bitcoins. Musk also mentioned that he had Bitcoins and Dogecoins. However, as early as May, it was revealed that Elon had gotten rid of many cryptocurrency assets. This information confuses investors.

This may be an attempt to put competitive pressure on rivals, as traditional carmakers such as Ford Motor Co, as well as start-ups including Rivian Automotive, are set to launch their electric cars this year.

However, it is not yet clear how this trade move will be received by lawmakers, who have recently become concerned about crypto regulation.

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Stock markets up as China lowers interest rate

On Monday, global stock indices posted robust growth on positive news form China. It was reported that the People's Bank of China lowered its key interest rate in an effort to support the country's struggling economy. Today, the US stock market is closed for Martin Luther King Jr. Day. Therefore, trading activity in Europe and China was rather low. Despite this fact, major stock indices still managed to reach local highs and lows.



Thus, China's stock market closed the session with notable gains: the Shanghai Composite Index jumped by 0.6% to 3,541.7.

Dalian Haosen Equipment Manufacturing Co Ltd and Beijing Baolande Software Corp. topped the list of best performing shares.

The shares of Jiangsu Bioperfectus Technologies Co Ltd and Beijing Hotgen Biotech Co Ltd. Were among the losing ones.

A confident rise in the SSE Composite Index is attributed to higher-than-expected growth of the country's economy in the last quarter of 2021. At the same time, according to the National Bureau of Statistics of China, its GDP in Q4 was the lowest since mid-2020 (+4%).

In the third quarter of 2021, China's economy expanded by 4.9% compared to the same period in 2020. This was the reason why the central bank of China has unexpectedly cut its interest rate. Market analysts expect that in 2022 the measures taken by the central bank will help protect the economy against a significant slowdown.

As a reminder, at the beginning of 2021, the Chinese economy showed a steady rise after the coronavirus crisis. Yet, falling consumption in the last quarter of 2021 limited the pace of recovery.

Meanwhile, European stock markets opened another trading week in positive territory. Again, the data from China served as the main growth catalyst.

At the time of writing, the STOXX Europe 600 index increased by 0.35% to 482.8, the French CAC 40 added 0.42%, the German DAX rose by 0.22%, and the British FTSE 100 Index gained 0.61 %.

The worst result was posted by the largest food manufacturer - Unilever: its shares lost 6.7%. Meanwhile, the Swiss financial conglomerate Credit Suisse Group AG also showed a noticeable decline in share prices (-2.1%).

Among the leaders were Spanish bank Banco Bilbao Vizcaya Argentaria, S.A., with a rise of 0.5%, and European airline group Air France-KLM, whose shares added 0.8%.

According to analysts, the policy of China's central bank and its effect on the global economy will remain the main driver for markets this week.

Meanwhile, investors are looking ahead to earnings reports from the largest US corporations. Goldman Sachs will publish its data on Tuesday, Bank of America, Procter & Gamble – on Wednesday, and American Airlines and Netflix – on Thursday.

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Will the euro sharply rise again?



The Euro continues to compete with the US dollar, trying to leave the outsider levels. However, these attempts are most often unsuccessful. The euro's short-term growth does not have a significant impact on its overall pessimistic mood.

Over the past year, the price of the EUR/USD pair has declined by 6.9%. The weakest link of the pair, which is the Euro currency, got the most blow. Experts said that the euro should not count on major achievements this year. Its weakness contributes to the excessive caution of the European regulator.

Currently, the Fed and other central banks have expressed their readiness to normalize monetary policy as soon as possible. Experts stressed that this contrasts sharply with the ECB's inaction. This strategy of the European regulator contributes to the further decline of the euro and increased inflation.

Markets have high hopes for the upcoming changes in the Fed's strategy, which include cutting stimulus and raising the key rate. The currency market is now under pressure from the growth of the USD and the increase in the yield of US Treasury bonds. The US dollar's strengthening prevents the euro from rising, but the latter does not give up.

Moreover, the growth of the yield of US government bonds supports the US currency before the Fed meeting. On Wednesday, it strengthened its position after a sharp rise in the yield of US government bonds. Markets are waiting nervously for the Fed to raise interest rates, and this sends the EUR/USD pair to new frontiers.

In the current situation, the pair found itself under bearish pressure, while the US currency strengthened amid the rising treasury yields. On Tuesday, the EUR/USD pair managed to reach the level of 1.1400, but further gains stalled. Experts said that the pair failed to develop an upward movement. On Wednesday morning, the EUR/USD pair was trading at the level of 1.1331, trying to rise higher, but failed.

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Pound's growth contains a downward reversal



Experts found signs of a downward movement in the dynamics of the British currency, which rapidly increased after the publication of economic data in the country. Analysts say that a potential reversal to low values will create a price fluctuation for the pound.

At the end of 2021, the pound rose intensely after the Bank of England's interest rate hike. This year, the British currency tried to stay in an upward trend, acting with varying success. Analysts are afraid of negative changes in the dynamics of the pound, which the British regulator is able to influence. The revision of the current monetary policy is possible after the release of disappointing macro data on the UK economy.

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European stock markets ended trading on Friday in the red



Stock indices of the countries of the Asia-Pacific region closed in the red on Friday, a similar trend has developed in the US stock market. Analysts attribute the fall in world markets to the prospects for a more aggressive than expected increase in rates by the Federal Reserve System.

Meanwhile, retail sales in the UK fell 3.7% in December from the previous month, showing the biggest drop since January, according to data from the National Statistics Office (ONS). Analysts on average had forecast a decline of just 0.6%. In annual terms, sales decreased by 0.9% instead of the expected growth of 3.4%.

Despite the decline in December, retail sales this month were up 2.6% compared to pre-pandemic February 2020. For 2021 as a whole, sales jumped 5.1%, the fastest pace since 2004.

The composite index of the largest enterprises in the Stoxx Europe 600 region fell by 1.8% to 474.44 points as a result of trading. At the same time, all sectoral sub-indices declined, the financial and technology sectors the most.

Losses of the indicator for the entire past week amounted to 1.5% on fears of tightening the monetary policy of the world's central banks and increased tensions between Russia and the United States.

The German DAX index fell by 1.9% during the day, the French CAC 40 - by 1.75%, the British FTSE 100 - by 1.2%. Spain's IBEX 35 shed 1.4% and Italy's FTSE MIB shed 1.9%.

German Siemens Energy AG shares plunged 16.6% on Friday after Siemens Gamesa subsidiary Renewable Energy SA released preliminary financial results for the first quarter.

The price of Siemens Gamesa fell 14%. The company posted an adjusted EBIT loss of €309m against a profit of €121m in the same period a year earlier, while its revenue fell to €1.8bn from €2.3bn. Siemens Gamesa also downgraded its forecasts for the main financial indicators for the 2022 financial year.

The fall leader in the Stoxx Europe 600 index, in addition to Siemens and Siemens Gamesa, was the Danish wind turbine manufacturer Vestas Wind Systems A/S (-9%). Also, steel ThyssenKrupp AG (-7.2%) and e-commerce platform InPost S.A. (-8.6%).

The energy sector went into the red zone following the fall in oil prices, including the value of Royal Dutch Shell Plc decreased by 1.7% and BP Plc - by 1.8%.

TotalEnergies on Friday announced its decision to pull out of a natural gas project in Myanmar and stop doing business in the country, which suffered a military coup in February 2021. The company will not receive financial compensation, its share in the Yadana field and the MGTC gas pipeline will be distributed among project partners. Capitalization of TotalEnergies for the day fell by 2.1%.

In addition, securities of the semiconductor industry, including ASML Holding (-1.7%) and AMS (-3.6%), as well as software developer SAP (-1.2%), fell in price.

Meanwhile, the shares of the German developer of software for remote connection TeamViewer AG (+4.3%) and the Polish retailer Dino Polska (+3.6%) grew most significantly

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EUR/USD: the euro suffers from uncertainty about the Fed's future steps, and the dollar wonders when the central bank will present it with a gift in the form of an interest rate hike



Less than two weeks ago, the words of Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell that the central bank's plans to raise interest rates would not lead to a slowdown in the growth of the national economy, allowed market participants to consider the issue of tightening monetary policy in the United States resolved.

Fears that the Fed could throw the stock market under the bus to eradicate high inflation led to the strongest weekly drop in the S&P 500 index since the beginning of the pandemic in March 2020 (by 5.7%).

The shares suffered due to investors' concern for the fate of the corporate sector, which will lose cheap money during the deterioration of macro statistics in the country.

Thus, retail sales in the United States in December decreased by 1.9% compared to the previous month, although experts did not expect a change in the indicator.

Last month, the volume of industrial production in the country decreased by 0.1% with an expected growth of 0.3%.

The consumer confidence index from the University of Michigan in January sank to 68.8 points from 70.6 points recorded in December, which was the second lowest level in a decade.

The number of initial applications of Americans for unemployment benefits for the week ending January 15 increased by 55,000, reaching 286,000, which is the highest since mid-October.

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Most Asian stock markets are trading in the red



The Federal Reserve may signal to markets that it is ready to start raising interest rates in March following its January meeting, which ends on Wednesday, analysts say. This will be the first rate hike since 2018.

The easing of monetary policy was caused by the COVID-19 pandemic. But now the Fed may also say that it is considering other options for tightening monetary policy to combat rising inflation, CNBC notes.

A growing number of Fed officials and Wall Street economists see the possibility of more than three hikes in the base interest rate by the US Central Bank this year against the backdrop of a significant rise in consumer prices. They explain these forecasts as signals that inflation in the US, which is at a maximum for almost 40 years, affects all segments of the economy, while the labor market is growing rapidly.

The Japanese Nikkei fell by 0.4% by 8:36 GMT+2.

Among the components of the index, the shares of Idemitsu Kosan Co. are the leaders of decline. Ltd. (-8.8%), Shionogi & Co. Ltd. (-5.9%) and Ricoh Co. Ltd. (-4.9%).

Shares of the metallurgical company Japan Steel Works Ltd. lose 2.5%, shares of IT company Rakuten Group Inc. grow by 0.7%, investment SoftBank Group Corp. add 1.8%.

The Hong Kong Hang Seng fell by 0.1% by 8:45 GMT+2, while the Shanghai Shanghai Composite rose by 0.3%.

Shenzhou International Group Holdings Ltd (-7.4%), Wuxi Biologics (Cayman) Inc. are the decline leaders in Hang Seng. (-6.5%) and Li Ning Co. Ltd.(-3.08%).

Shares of automaker Geely Automobile Holdings Ltd. are cheaper by 2.3%, technology company JD.com Inc. - grow by 1.4%.

South Korean Kospi lost 0.15% by 8:45 GMT+2.

Shares of automaker Kia Corp. (KS:000270) up 1.8%, shares of Hyundai Motor Co. decrease by 2.1%.

The cost of chip and electronics manufacturer Samsung Electronics Co. is down 0.8%, its rival LG Corp. grows by 0.1%.

Australian stock exchanges are closed due to the holiday (Australia Day).

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US stock indices ended trading without a single dynamics



The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 129.64 points (0.38%) by the close of trading to 34,168.09 points.

The Standard & Poor's 500 lost 6.52 points (0.15%) to 4349.93 points.

The Nasdaq Composite increased 2.82 points (0.02%) to 13542.12.

The Fed kept the interest rate on federal funds (federal funds rate) in the range from 0% to 0.25% per annum. The decision coincided with the forecasts of economists and market participants.

The Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) of the Fed aims to achieve maximum employment and inflation at 2% in the long term. To support this goal, the committee decided to maintain the target range for the federal funds rate at 0-0.25%.

At the same time, since inflation is well above 2% per annum with a strong labor market situation, committee members expect that it will soon be appropriate to raise the target rate range. At the same time, the head of the Fed, Jerome Powell, during a press conference following the meeting, noted that FOMC members intend to raise interest rates already at the March meeting.

The American Central Bank also announced that it plans to continue reducing the volume of the asset buyback program and intends to curtail it in March.

Meanwhile, traders followed the ongoing reporting season of US companies.

Boeing Co. shares lost 4.8% in price on the news that the company's revenue fell by 3.3% and turned out to be worse than the market forecast, which was waiting for its growth.

Exchange operator Nasdaq Inc. in October-December increased profit by 16%, revenue - by 12%, and the latter figure and adjusted profit were higher than experts' expectations. Nasdaq shares fell 3.1%.

Telecommunications and media company AT&T Inc. returned to profitability last quarter, with adjusted earnings and revenue above forecasts. Capitalization of AT&T, however, decreased by 8.4%.

Freeport-McMoRan Inc. share price fell by 3%, although the producer of copper and gold in the last quarter of 2021 increased its net profit by 57%, revenue by 37%.

Automatic Data Processing lost 9% despite the HR software and services provider posting better-than-expected earnings and revenue in the second quarter of fiscal 2022.

Consumer goods manufacturer Kimberly-Clark Corp. in October-December of the year reduced net profit by a third, despite the growth in revenue, due to increased costs. The value of the company fell by 3.4%.

Meanwhile, US new home sales jumped 11.9% in December from the previous month to 811,000 annualized, the country's Commerce Department said. According to the revised data, 725,000 houses were sold in November (an increase of 11.7% MoM), while previously the figure was 744,000 (a jump of 12.4%).

Analysts, on average, expected a 1.8% increase in new home sales last month from the previously announced November level to 757,000.

Stock quotes of large American construction companies Lennar Corp. and KB Home were down 4.5% and 4.8%, respectively.

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US stocks closed lower, Dow Jones down 0.02%



At the close on the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones fell 0.02% to a one-month low, the S&P 500 index fell 0.54%, and the NASDAQ Composite index fell 1.40%. Dow Inc was the top performer among the components of the

Dow Jones index today, up 2.96 points or 5.17% to close at 60.18. Chevron Corp rose 2.68 points or 2.02% to close at 135.37. Merck & Company Inc rose 1.44 points or 1.82% to close at 80.58.

The losers were shares of Intel Corporation, which lost 3.64 points or 7.04% to end the session at 48.05. Boeing Co was up 2.33% or 4.52 points to close at 189.75 while American Express Company was down 1.95% or 3.42 points to close at 171. 90.

Among the S&P 500 index components gainers today were ServiceNow Inc, which rose 9.14% to hit 528.69, Ball Corporation, which gained 8.57% to close at 93.99, and Seagate Technology PLC, which gained 7.65% to end the session at 103.68.

The biggest losers were Teradyne Inc, which shed 22.41% to close at 111.24. Shares of Tesla Inc lost 11.55% and ended the session at 829.10. Quotes of Advanced Micro Devices Inc decreased in price by 7.33% to 102.60.

The leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were National Security Group Inc, which rose 69.65% to 15.65, Sidus Space Inc, which gained 31.55% to close at 10.80. as well as shares of Galapagos NV ADR, which rose 22.47% to close the session at 65.30.

The biggest losers were Epizyme Inc, which shed 44.21% to close at 1.060. Shares of TG Therapeutics Inc shed 40.65% to end the session at 8.25. Quotes of Cyngn Inc decreased in price by 36.47% to 1.62.

On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that fell in price (2349) exceeded the number of those that closed in positive territory (941), while quotes of 143 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 3,122 companies fell in price, 838 rose, and 174 remained at the level of the previous close.

Chevron Corp shares rose to an all-time high, up 2.02%, 2.68 points, to close at 135.37. Shares in National Security Group Inc surged to a 52-week high, up 69.65% or 6.43 points to close at 15.65. Epizyme Inc shares fell to all-time lows, down 44.21% or 0.840 to close at 1.060. TG Therapeutics Inc shares fell to a 52-week low, falling 40.65%, 5.65 points, to close at 8.25. Cyngn Inc shares tumbled to all-time lows, dropping 36.47% or 0.93 points to close at 1.62.

The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 4.60% to 30.49.

Gold futures for February delivery lost 1.81%, or 33.15, to $1,796.55 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for March delivery fell 0.08%, or 0.07, to $87.28 a barrel. Brent oil futures for April delivery rose 0.24%, or 0.21, to $88.90 a barrel.

Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD fell 0.02% to hit 1.1141, while USD/JPY shed 0.01% to hit 115.32.

Futures on the USD index rose 0.87% to 97.235.

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US stock market closes higher, Dow Jones gains 1.17%



At the close in the New York Stock Exchange, the Dow Jones was up 1.17%, the S&P 500 was up 1.89% and the NASDAQ Composite was up 3.41%.

The leading gainer among the components of the Dow Jones index today was Boeing Co, which gained 9.67 points or 5.07% to close at 200.24. Salesforce.com Inc rose 10.50 points or 4.73% to close at 232.63. The Walt Disney Company rose 4.34 points or 3.13% to close at 142.97.

The biggest losers were Walgreens Boots Alliance Inc, which shed 0.70 points or 1.39% to end the session at 49.76. Amgen Inc was up 0.87% or 2.00 points to close at 227.14, while Visa Inc Class A was down 0.80% or 1.83 points to close at 226. ,17.

Leading gainers among the S&P 500 index components in today's trading were Enphase Energy Inc, which rose 13.41% to 140.47, SolarEdge Technologies Inc, which gained 12.33% to close at 238.22, and also shares of Netflix Inc, which rose 11.13% to end the session at 427.14.

L3Harris Technologies Inc led the decline, shedding 4.29% to close at 209.29. Shares of Kellogg Company shed 3.46% to end the session at 63.00. Quotes of Citrix Systems Inc decreased in price by 3.42% to 101.94.

Leading gainers among the components of the NASDAQ Composite in today's trading were Calithera Biosciences Inc, which rose 55.65% to hit 0.650, Inspira Technologies Oxy BHN Ltd, which gained 36.52% to close at 3.14, and also shares of Vaccinex Inc, which rose 33.63% to close the session at 1.510.

The drop leaders were shares of Imperial Petroleum Inc, which lost 55.05% to close at 0.98. Shares of Appharvest Inc lost 12.06% to end the session at 2.99. Quotes of Vigil Neuroscience Inc decreased in price by 11.95% to 12.90.

On the New York Stock Exchange, the number of securities that rose in price (2,680) exceeded the number of those that closed in the red (574), while quotes of 106 shares remained virtually unchanged. On the NASDAQ stock exchange, 3323 companies rose in price, 582 fell, and 154 remained at the level of the previous close.

Imperial Petroleum Inc shares tumbled to historic lows, down 55.05% or 1.20 points to close at 0.98. Shares in Appharvest Inc plunged to all-time lows, shedding 12.06% or 0.41 points to close at 2.99.

The CBOE Volatility Index, which is based on S&P 500 options trading, fell 10.23% to 24.83.

Gold Futures for February delivery added 0.76%, or 13.60, to $1,798.50 a troy ounce. In other commodities, WTI crude for March delivery rose 1.49%, or 1.29, to $88.11 a barrel. Brent oil futures for April delivery rose 0.07%, or 0.06, to $89.28 a barrel.

Meanwhile, in the Forex market, EUR/USD was down 0.00% to hit 1.1233, while USD/JPY was up 0.03% to hit 115.14.

Futures on the USD index fell 0.65% to 96.632.

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