Bank of England (BoE) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) member Catherine Mann said during European trading hours on Thursday that rising United Kingdom (UK) jobless rate is becoming a major concern.
ABN AMRO Chief Economist Nick Kounis discusses reports that ECB President Christine Lagarde may leave before her term ends in 2027, potentially giving France and Germany greater influence over her successor.
TD Securities’ Global Strategy Team argues the Reserve Bank of Australia will view January’s labour data as confirmation of a still-tight market. Full-time jobs rose strongly and unemployment stayed below the RBA’s latest forecast.
National Bank of Canada’s Taylor Schleich and Ethan Currie argue that, under current regulations, the Federal Reserve has limited room for major further reductions in its balance sheet, now around $6.5 trillion after prior QT.
Danske Bank’s Danske Research Team reports that FOMC minutes showed policymakers generally expect US inflation to keep easing toward 2%, but with a hawkish twist as several participants flagged the possibility of further hikes if inflation stays above target.
Rabobank’s Bas van Geffen analyses reports that President Lagarde may leave the ECB early, arguing this is not required to safeguard ECB independence but could help France retain influence on the Executive Board.
ING’s Chris Turner notes that the January FOMC minutes confirmed the New York Fed checked USD/JPY rates for the US Treasury, reinforcing perceptions that Washington is comfortable with a weaker Dollar.
Deutsche Bank’s Sanjay Raja argues January’s UK inflation data will be uncomfortable for the Bank of England, with services and core CPI overshooting MPC projections.
BNY’s EMEA Macro Strategist Geoff Yu notes that the Australian Dollar is benefiting from a sharp rise in cash and short-term (CAST) flows as markets price in further Reserve Bank of Australia tightening.
The EUR/GBP cross gains momentum near 0.8745 during the early European trading hours on Thursday. The Pound Sterling (GBP) weakens against the Euro (EUR) amid weak economic data from the United Kingdom (UK).
Commerzbank’s Antje Praefcke notes that EUR/USD slipped below 1.18 as markets interpreted the January Fed minutes as slightly more hawkish, helped by stronger US labour data. She stresses that a March rate cut is now ruled out and fewer than two cuts are priced for 2026.
The US military is ready for possible strikes on Iran as soon as Saturday, CBS reported on Wednesday. Nonetheless, US President Donald Trump has yet to make a final decision on whether to carry out an attack.
Reserve Bank of New Zealand (RBNZ) Assistant Governor Karen Silk said in a Reuters interview on Thursday, the next move in interest rates will likely be up.
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) Oil price edges lower after registering 4.9% losses in the previous session, trading around $65.00 per barrel during the Asian hours on Thursday.