Uncomfortably strong US outlook.
By Ipek Ozkardeskaya, Senior Analyst | Swissquote Bank
Eurozone services PMI were disappointing in August, yet the ISM services index printed its strongest expansion across the Atlantic Ocean. The US ISM services index flirted with 55; employment, new orders, and ISM prices also showed significant progress last month. The strong ISM data bolstered the speculation that the Federal Reserve (Fed) could opt for another rate hike before the year end and keep the rates at restrictive levels for longer. The US 2-year yield advanced above 5%, the 10-year yield is around the 4.30% mark. Oh, and by the way, the US yield curve has been inverted since more than a year, but the resilience of the US economy continues surprising, and recession is nowhere around (at least in the data).
The US dollar index extends gains toward the 105 level. At 105.40, traders will decide whether the dollar deserves to reverse its yearly bearish trend, and step into a medium-term bullish configuration. Even though Fed's Waller sounded happy and satisfied with last week's weakish economic data – both for inflation and jobs – James Bullard said that the Fed should stick with a plan of one more hike this year. Maybe in November? For now, the market is positioned for no rate hike this year, but strong data and rising oil prices could change that expectation in the next few weeks. There is a growing chatter that the Fed could double its growth projection when it publishes an updated outlook later this month. I hope for the rest of the world that that does not happen!