Market Report : 29.05.2024

Published: 29/05/2024 By ECAP

The British Pound continues to rally against its peers, reaching its strongest levels against the Euro since August 2022, and being about 1% away from hitting a 10-month high against the U.S. Dollar. The rally comes as investors gauge the potential impact of a Labour government taking the reins on July 4th. Thus far, markets appear relatively sanguine about such a prospect; in fact, the British Pound likes certainty, and right now, the solid Labour majority indicated by the polls offers that certainty.

The Euro was relatively flat as yesterday’s agenda did not give any surprises. Attention now shifts to today's data and the following days where important information on inflation in the German economy and more broadly in the Eurozone will be announced. Although high interest rates have led to a significant de-escalation of inflationary pressures in the eurozone, the long-term perspective remains above the ECB’s 2% target.

The U.S. Dollar started yesterday’s session on the back foot, slipping to a fresh two-month low against the British Pound, amid a cautiously optimistic market mood. Nevertheless, hawkish comments from Federal Reserve policymaker Neel Kashkari helped the dollar rebound from its worst levels, as he said another rate hike is not completely “off the table”. Looking forward, John Williams, another Fed policymaker, is due to speak this evening. If he strikes a more cautious tone than his colleague Kashkari, the ‘greenback’ may soften.

Data supplied by GC Partners