Neel Kashkari, President of the Federal Reserve (Fed) Bank of Minneapolis, spoke at a St. Paul Area Chamber event in St. Paul, Minneapolis, on Wednesday. He said that the big question is how long the Strait of Hormuz will be closed and what effect will it have on inflation.
The House Financial Services Committee (HFSC), chaired by Representative French Hill (R-AR), is the lower chamber's primary oversight body for banking, capital markets, housing finance, and monetary policy.
BNY’s Geoff Yu notes that APAC (Asia-Pacific) currencies remains underowned outside the Korean Won (KRW) and Japanese Yen (JPY), as investors revisit the region for diversification but remain wary of inflation spillovers from China.
Susan Collins, President of the Federal Reserve (Fed) Bank of Boston, spoke at a fireside chat at an event hosted by the Boston Economic Club on Wednesday.
Bank of England (BoE) Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) member Catherine Mann said on Wednesday that the trade off between inflation and activity is becoming "increasingly stark," per Reuters.
The Bank of England (BoE) is expected to maintain a cautious stance as inflation remains above its target, according to a Reuters poll published on Wednesday.
ING’s Chris Turner reports that Sterling weakened independently as UK politics took centre stage, with Prime Minister Keir Starmer facing potential leadership challenges from figures like Wes Streeting, Andy Burnham and Angela Rayner.
The United States (US) Producer Price Index jumped to 6% on a yearly basis in April, following the 4.3% posted in March and largely surpassing the expected 4.9%. On a monthly basis, the PPI rose 1.4%, doubling the March reading of 0.7%, and much higher than the anticipated 0.5%.
TD Securities strategists note Silver is maintaining its upside, trading resiliently despite higher energy prices. While recent CTA (Commodity Trading Advisors) buying has slowed, they see renewed interest from Chinese traders on SHFE (Shanghai Futures Exchange) and strong Chinese premiums.
Producer inflation in the United States, as measured by the change in the Producer Price Index (PPI), rose to 6% on a yearly basis in April from 4.3% in March, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Wednesday.
TD Securities’ Global Strategy Team says Australia’s 2026/27 Budget is slightly stimulatory, with looser fiscal policy and more upbeat Treasury forecasts than the RBA.
Commerzbank’s Antje Praefcke notes that rising US inflation and elevated energy prices complicate incoming Fed Chair Kevin Warsh’s efforts to secure early rate cuts.
BNY’s Bob Savage highlights that India has reversed earlier duty cuts by raising import tariffs on Gold and Silver to 15% from May 2026. The move aims to curb bullion imports, narrow the trade deficit and support the Rupee amid external pressures.
TD Securities’ Global Strategy Team highlights that markets will scrutinize the Bank of Canada’s Summary of Deliberations for more detail on April’s decision and two‑sided guidance.
European Central Bank (ECB) official and Finnish Central Bank Governor Olli Rehn said during European trading hours on Wednesday that higher oil prices should be the only factor to direct monetary policy decisions. Rehn added that the central bank needs to assess the scope of energy shocks.
According to a Reuters poll, the European Central Bank (ECB) will hike the deposit rate by 25 basis points (bps) to 2.25% in June, said 59 of 70 economists (vs 44 of 85 in April survey).
European Central Bank (ECB) policymaker Madis Muller said on Wednesday that a fast resolution in the Strait of hormuz is needed for the ECB to hold rates unchanged in June.
Commerzbank’s economists, led by Dr. Henry Hao, note that India’s April Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose 3.5% year-on-year, marking a fifteenth month below the Reserve Bank of India's (RBI) 4% mid-point target.
Commerzbank highlights that Brent crude surged 3.4% to around USD107.77 as supply disruptions in the Persian Gulf intensified. Satellite imagery shows Iranian exports from Kharg Island nearly halted, with tankers used as floating storage.
GBP/JPY pares its daily gains, trading around 213.60 during the Asian hours on Wednesday.