Forex News from InstaForex

[InstaForex Gertrude]

PERU: Government Signs US$ 200 Million Exploration Contracts With Anadarko

The Peruvian government has signed three oil exploration and exploitation contracts evaluated at US$ 200 million. The contracts involve the state-owned oil company PeruPetro and the U.S. company Anadarko, that will jointly develop offshore blocks on the western Pacific coast.

"In Peru, we have been slow in oil policy in the last 30 to 40 years, with contracts difficult to execute, and we are trying to improve it," said Peruvian President Pedro Pablo Kuczynski.

He also stressed that this is the first time that deepwater hydrocarbon exploration will occur in the country.

The three blocs range the provincial coasts of Chiclayo, Chep?n, Pacasmayo, Ascope, Trujillo, and Vir?.

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[InstaForex Gertrude]

Gold Prices Climb on Weaker Dollar

Gold prices increased for a fourth day on Wednesday, after notching a two-week peak in the session earlier, as the dollar weakened.

Spot gold rose 0.2 percent at $1,290.56 per ounce. It hit its highest level since Sept. 27 in the session earlier.

U.S. gold futures for December delivery was flat at $1,293 an ounce.

The dollar weakened against its peers and pulled back from a 10-week peak set recently amid speculation that U.S. President Donald Trump's tax overhaul plan would stall. A firm euro also weighed on the greenback.

Fed funds futures showed that traders implied almost a 90 percent likelihood of a December rate hike.

"The only news holding down the price of course are the impending rate hikes from the Federal Reserve but if these political issues grow much worse you can bet that $1,300 will not be the top," according to Miguel Perez-Santalla, vice president of Heraeus Metal Management in New York, citing concerns surrounding Spain and North Korea.

The London Metal Exchange sees three more clearing members to join its precious metals contract by the end of 2017 and is also looking to expand trading around its gold and silver reference prices, Chief Executive Matthew Chamberlain said.

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[InstaForex Gertrude]

Australia Home Loans Rise 1.0% In August

The total number of home loans in Australia was up a seasonally adjusted 1.0 percent on month in August, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday - coming in at 57,161.

That beat forecasts for a gain of 0.5 percent following the downwardly revised 2.8 percent increase in July (originally 2.9 percent).

Investment lending advanced 4.3 percent to A$12.633 billion after sliding 3.7 percent in the previous month.

The value of loans gained 0.9 percent to A$21.265 billion after rising 1.3 percent a month earlier.

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[InstaForex Gertrude]

Fed Minutes show Policymakers’ Support for December Rate Hike

The minutes of the Federal Reserve meeting on September 19-20 showed that members of the FOMC had a prolonged discussion regarding the prospects of inflation's growth and slowing the rate of future interest rate hikes if it failed to pick-up.

Record of the most recent policy meeting showed that Fed officials see the economy growing at a steady rate. The minutes also show that policymakers expect inflation will reach the targeted 2 percent, with FOMC members anticipating that factors weakening inflation are temporary.

Several members said that they would focus on the incoming inflation data over the next few months when deciding regarding the future of interest rate moves.

It also indicated that an interest rate hike later this year is almost certain, despite some divisions regarding the outlook for the direction of inflation. According to the summary of the meeting, many members thought that another rate hike in the target range later this year, presumably in December, was likely to be warranted if the medium-term outlook continued to be unchanged.

In the end, the FOMC ruled against an interest rate hike at the meeting, choosing instead to announced that in October it would start to reduce its massive balance sheet, which will be done by allowing small part of the proceeds from its maturing bonds to roll off.

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[InstaForex Gertrude]

Singapore GDP Surges 6.3% On Quarter In Q3

Singapore's gross domestic product climbed a seasonally adjusted 6.3 percent on quarter in the third quarter of 2017, the Ministry of Trade and Industry said in Friday's advance estimate.

That beat forecasts for an increase of 3.7 percent following the upwardly revised 2.4 percent gain in the second quarter (originally 2.2 percent).

On a yearly basis, GDP jumped 4.6 percent - again exceeding expectations for 3.8 percent following the 2.9 percent increase in the three months prior.

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[InstaForex Gertrude]

U.S. Producer Prices Strengthens in September

U.S. producer inflation increased in September as gasoline prices notched its biggest increase over two years amid hurricane-linked production issues at Texas oil refineries.

At an annual rate, the PPI jumped 2.6 percent, the biggest jump since February 2012 and came after a 2.4 percent rise in August. The rise is driven by the strong increase in wholesale gasoline prices, which jumped 10.9 percent in September

According to the Labor Department, the higher energy prices most likely resulted from the reduced refining capacity in refineries in the Gulf Coast area that was devastated by Hurricane Harvey. The increase in gasoline prices due to the storm is seen to be only temporary as a supply glut persists in the markets.

The producer price index for final demand rose 0.4 percent, the Labor Department reported, also lifted by the rise in services. Wholesale prices in August rose 0.2 percent.

Other data released by the government agency showed filings for unemployment benefits declined to a more than one-month low in the previous week as the boost to the applications in Texas and Florida due to Hurricane Harvey and Irma continued to decline.

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[InstaForex Gertrude]

China CPI Slows To 1.6% In September

Consumer prices in China were up 1.6 percent on year in September, the National Bureau of Statistics said on Monday.

That was in line with expectations, and down from 1.8 percent in August.

On a monthly basis, consumer prices were up 0.5 percent - accelerating from 0.4 percent a month prior.

The bureau also said that producer prices jumped an annual 6.9 percent - exceeding forecasts for 6.4 percent and up from 6.3 percent in the previous month.

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[InstaForex Gertrude]

Gold Prices Slip Amid Strong Dollar

Gold prices eased slightly on Monday, pulled down by a strong dollar and Asian equities.

Spot gold fell 0.1 percent at $1,303.42 per ounce. It gained almost 0.9 percent in the session earlier on lower-than-expected U.S. inflation data.

U.S. gold futures for December delivery increased 0.1 percent at $1,305.70 an ounce.

The dollar index, which measures the U.S. currency versus a basket of peers, stood steady at 93.101. Asian shares climbed to fresh peaks on Monday following a strong lead from Wall Street.

The U.S. economy continues to be strong and the labour market's strength calls for gradual hikes in rates despite subdued inflation, according to Federal Reserve Chair Janet Yellen.

Wages and inflation in the euro zone will eventually rise but more slowly than initially expected, requiring continued patience from policymakers, European Central Bank President Mario Draghi said.

Senior Trump administration officials recently said that the United States was committed to remaining part of the Iran nuclear accord as of the moment, despite President Donald Trump's criticisms of the deal and warnings that his country might pull out.

Hedge funds and money managers trimmed their net long position in COMEX gold contracts for the fourth consecutive week in the week to Oct. 10, according to data from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission.

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[InstaForex Gertrude]

RBA Minutes: Australian Economy Continues To Expand As Expected

Members of the Reserve Bank of Australia said that the country's economy was growing in line with expectations, minutes from the bank's October 3 meeting revealed on Tuesday. Price pressure remained broadly subdued, the minutes said, thanks in part to a strengthening Australian dollar and a softening greenback. At the meeting, the bank kept its benchmark lending rate unchanged at the record low 1.50 percent, as expected. The interest rate has been at this level since September 2016. The bank had reduced the rate by 25-basis points each in August and May last year. "Taking account of the available information, the Board judged that holding the stance of monetary policy unchanged at this meeting would be consistent with sustainable growth in the economy and achieving the inflation target over time," the minutes said. The bank reiterated that the low level of interest rates is continuing to support the Australian economy. Policymakers also noted more consistent signs of non-mining business investment picking up. The bank expects inflation to pick up gradually as the economy strengthens. According to RBA, the unemployment rate will decline only gradually over the next couple of years. An appreciating exchange rate would be expected to result in a slower pick-up in economic activity and inflation than currently forecast. It is also weighing on the outlook for output and employment. "In Australia, financial conditions for companies remained accommodative, with price-to-earnings ratios above average and corporate bond spreads at a decade low," the minutes said. On housing market, the bank observed conditions vary considerably around the country. Housing prices have been rising briskly in some markets, while in others they have been declining. Following some tightening in credit conditions, growth in borrowing by investors slowed a little recently, the bank said. "The strengthening in global economic conditions had reduced some near-term risks to financial stability arising from rare or extreme events. However, low interest rates and low financial market volatility had promoted financial risk-taking," the minutes said. Also on Tuesday, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said that the total number of new motor vehicle sales in Australia was down a seasonally adjusted 0.5 percent on month in September, standing at 98,882. That follows the flat reading in August. On a yearly basis, new motor vehicle sales were down 0.8 percent after climbing 1.7 percent in the previous month. By individual component, sales for passenger vehicles sank 1.0 percent on month, while sports utility vehicle sales eased 0.1 percent and other vehicle sales advanced 0.7 percent.

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[InstaForex Gertrude]

Gold Steady Amid Strong Dollar

Gold prices held steady early on Tuesday after dropping below $1,300 per ounce in the session earlier, while the dollar was firm on strong U.S. Treasury yields.

Spot gold was flat at $1,293.60 per ounce. The precious metal declined 0.8 percent in the session earlier.

U.S. gold futures for December delivery dropped to $1,296 an ounce. The dollar held gains versus the yen and the euro on Tuesday, buoyed by an increase in Treasury yields following a report that U.S. President Donald Trump preferred a policy hawk as the next head of the Federal Reserve. He is set to meet with Fed Chair Janet Yellen on Thursday as part of his search for a new candidate for her position, according to a source familiar with the matter.

Among other metals, palladium previously tumbled 1.6 percent at $972.10 per ounce after hitting its highest since February 2001 at $1,010.50.

Some investors had been wary when the metal, mostly used for auto catalysts to clean pollution from exhaust fumes, broke above $1,000 on Sept. 6, as a result of concern regarding weak global auto sales.

However, these concerns have been put aside after the world's largest auto market China recently posted sales growth of 5.7 percent in September.

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[InstaForex Gertrude]

ARGENTINA: Merval Falls 1.91%, Tracking ADRs

Merval, the main index of the Buenos Aires Stock Exchange, tumbled 1.91% Tuesday, closing at 26,622.40 points in the first trading session of the week after a holiday in Argentina.

Local papers tracked the losses posted Monday by the ADRs of Argentinean companies traded on Wall Street in the days previous to an election in which the market takes for granted the triumph of the President Mauricio Macri political group.

The main candidates are in the final stretch of their campaigns. On Monday, Cristina Kirchner led a crowded rally in the Racing Club stadium, while Macri took part in an act with its allies in Ferro.

The shares of Galicia (+0.26%) and Petrobras (+0.11%) rose, while Pampa (-4.89%), Costanera (-4.24%), Agrometal (-3.51%), Comercial del Plata (-3.38%), and Petrolera Pampa (-3.38%) fell.

The locally traded U.S dollar closed down 0.08%, at 17.33 Argentinean pesos, reversing an early rise, also under pressure of the electoral week.

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[InstaForex Gertrude]

Carney Confirms Rate Hike Imminent as Inflation Hits Multi-Year High

Governor Mark Carney reaffirmed that the Bank of England is close to making its first rate hike move in more than 10 years, as inflation reach 3 percent and another official said that the UK economy is near an inflection point.

The head of the BOE and the two newly appointed members of the central bank's rate-setting Monetary Policy Committee indicated that the dissolution of economic slack is their main consideration as they prepare for a November 2 meeting decision during their testimonies to lawmakers. The addresses coincided with the release of a report indicating consumer prices accelerating at its fastest rate since April 2012.

Carney stated that since the BOE had used up more spare capacity and due to increasing inflationary pressures in the UK, majority of the members of the governing committee believe that a rate hike in the following month may be fitting.

The BOE leader professed that while CPI growth is near its tipping level, it's more likely than not to accelerate once more this month. In turn, this would bring CPI to a more than full percentage point above BOE's 2 percent target.

Meanwhile, MPC member Silvana Tenreyro said that the BOE may soon need to move, but put an emphasis that the move may occur in the coming months as the economy reaches its tipping point.

A main concern for policymakers is that the economic slack that can hurt price pressures may soon be undermined. Jobless rate is at a historic low and uncertainty surrounding Brexit threatens to affect output.

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[InstaForex Gertrude]

Japan Has Y670.2 Billion Trade Surplus In September

Japan had a merchandise trade surplus of 670.2 billion yen in September, the Ministry of Finance said on Thursday.

That beat forecasts for a surplus of 556.8 billion yen following the downwardly revised 112.6 billion yen surplus in August (originally 113.6 billion yen).

Exports climbed 14.1 percent on year, missing forecasts for a gain of 15.0 percent and down from 18.1 percent in the previous month.

Imports picked up an annual 12.0 percent versus expectations for 14.7 percent and down from 15.2 a month earlier.

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[InstaForex Gertrude]

Japan Has Y670.2 Billion Trade Surplus In September

Japan had a merchandise trade surplus of 670.2 billion yen in September, the Ministry of Finance said on Thursday.

That beat forecasts for a surplus of 556.8 billion yen following the downwardly revised 112.6 billion yen surplus in August (originally 113.6 billion yen).

Exports climbed 14.1 percent on year, missing forecasts for a gain of 15.0 percent and down from 18.1 percent in the previous month.

Imports picked up an annual 12.0 percent versus expectations for 14.7 percent and down from 15.2 a month earlier.

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[InstaForex Gertrude]

Malaysia's Inflation Accelerates In September

Malaysia's inflation accelerated as expected in September, figures from the Department of Statistics revealed Friday.

Consumer prices climbed 4.3 percent year-on-year in September, faster then the 3.7 percent rise seen in August. The rate came in line with expectations.

Among components, transport costs showed a significant growth of 15.8 percent. At the same time, food and non-alcoholic beverages, which accounted 30.2 percent in the CPI weights, climbed 4.6 percent.

On a monthly basis, inflation eased to 0.3 percent from 0.9 percent in August. Likewise, based on a seasonally adjusted term, the overall consumer price index for September grew 0.3 percent.

During January to September, the CPI registered an increase of 4 percent from the same period last year.

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[IFX Yvonne]

Japan Leading Index Strengthens More Than Estimated In August

Japan's leading index improved more than initially estimated in August, latest figures from the Cabinet Office showed Monday.

The leading index, which measures the future economic activity, climbed to 107.2 in August from 105.2 in July. The reading for August was revised up from 106.8.

Moreover, this was the highest score since February 2014, when the reading was 108.0.

The coincident index that reflects the current economic activity rose to 117.7 in August from 115.7 in the previous month. The flash reading for August was 117.6.

The lagging index came in at 116.2 in August, up from 115.9 in July.

 

[InstaForex Gertrude]

Japan Manufacturing PMI Slows In October - Nikkei

The manufacturing sector in Japan continued to expand in October, albeit at a slightly slower pace, the latest survey from Nikkei revealed on Tuesday with a manufacturing PMI score of 52.5.

That's down from 52.9 in September, although it remains above the boom-or-bust line of 50 that separates expansion from contraction.

Individually, output, new orders, new export orders and quantity of purchases all increased but at a slower pace.

Employment, backlogs and output prices all increased at a faster rate.

Business confidence fell to an 11-month low.

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[InstaForex Gertrude]

Gold Prices Rebound from 2-Week Low on Weaker Dollar

Gold prices climbed on Tuesday, rebounding from an over two-week low notched in the session earlier, on the back of a relatively softer dollar.

Spot gold climbed 0.1 percent at $1,283.36 per ounce. The precious metal reached its lowest since Oct. 6 at $1,271.86 in the session earlier.

U.S. gold futures for December delivery increased 0.3 percent to $1,284.80 an ounce.

The dollar index fell 0.1 percent at 93.778. The greenback dropped 0.1 percent to 113.35 yen after hitting a more than three-month peak in the session earlier.

U.S. President Donald Trump will urge President Xi Jinping to make good on his commitments to pressure North Korea when he visits China in November, according to a senior White House official.

Trump recently told reporters that he is "very, very close" to making his decision on who should chair the Federal Reserve.

Financial markets are now awaiting guidance on who will succeed Fed chair Janet Yellen when her term expires in February.

Trump is considering nominating Fed Governor Jerome Powell and Stanford University economist John Taylor for the central bank's top two jobs. Powell is considered less hawkish than Taylor, who is seen advocating higher interest rates.

South Africa's Gold Fields said its third-quarter gold output increased three percent compared with the previous quarter, supported by a ten percent growth in production at their South Deep mine.

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[InstaForex Gertrude]

COLOMBIA: Colcap Closes Stable Due To Bancolombia's Underperformance

Colcap, the main index of the Colombian Stock Exchange, closed stable Tuesday at 1,460.35 units.

Ramses Pestanapalmett, an analyst at Ultraserfinco, said the oil rally abroad due to the declining output in Iraq after the Kurdish referendum, was countered by Bancolombia's underperformance.

Avianca closed with gains after the nomination of a third arbitrator within the Arbitration Court trying to settle in the labor dispute between the company and the pilots' unions.

The shares of ETB (+1.62%), Ecopetrol (+1.03%), Cemargos (+0.94%), Cemex (+0.88%), Avianca (+0.54%), Conconcreto (+0.51%), and EEB (+0.25%), while Bancolombia (-1.23%), Nutresa (-0.52%), and Preferencial Bancolombia (-0,31%) fell.

The locally traded U.S. dollar closed the day at 2,978.00 Colombian pesos, up 0.86%, remaining bullish amid expectations on who will be nominated by U.S. President Donald Trump as head of the Federal Reserve Bank.

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[InstaForex Gertrude]

Australia Export Prices Sink 3.0% In Q3

Export prices in Australia were down 3.0 percent on quarter in the third quarter of 2017, the Australian Bureau of Statistics said on Thursday.

That beat forecasts for a decline of 4.0 percent following the 5.7 percent drop in the three months prior.

Import prices were down 1.6 percent on quarter, missing slightly forecasts for a decline of 1.5 percent following the 0.1 percent contraction in the second quarter.

On a yearly basis, export prices were up 14.2 percent and import prices dipped 0.4 percent.

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