Morning Wrap (27.05.2024)

Asian and Pacific indexes are experiencing a moderately upward session. The most gains are seen in Chinese indexes, ranging from 0.45% to 0.75%. The Japanese Nikkei 225 index is up by 0.10%, while the Australian S&P/ASX200 is up by 0.35%.

Futures contracts for European indexes also indicate a slightly lower opening for the cash session. DAX and Euro Stoxx 50 Index contracts are losing between 0.05% and 0.10%.

On the forex market, volatility is relatively low in the first part of the day. Among the strongest currencies are the New Zealand dollar and the Australian dollar, both gaining around 0.1-0.2%.

Today, the U.S. markets will remain closed due to the federal Memorial Day holiday. UK markets will also be closed due to the Spring Bank Holiday.

The Bank of Japan (BOJ) will cautiously pursue its inflation target, said President Kazuo Ueda on Monday, emphasizing that some challenges are particularly difficult for Japan after years of ultra-loose monetary policy. However, Ueda stated that Japan has made progress in returning to positive price dynamics and raising inflation expectations.

Philip Lane from the European Central Bank (ECB) said that the ECB is ready to start cutting interest rates from next week. Lane mentioned that the ECB still needs to keep rates relatively high to ensure that inflation continues to fall towards the target.

According to an application filed in the government register of companies, China has established its third consecutive state-backed investment fund to stimulate the semiconductor industry, with a capital of 344 billion yuan (47.5 billion USD).

President Xi Jinping emphasized the need for China to achieve self-sufficiency in semiconductors. This need has increased after the United States imposed a series of export control measures over the past few years.

Chinese Premier Li Qiang met with South Korean President Yoon Suk Yeol and Japanese Prime Minister Fumio Kishida in Seoul, seeking to revive trilateral negotiations for a free trade agreement.

In the cryptocurrency market, we are observing moderate increases. Bitcoin is slightly up to the level of $68,700. Larger increases, and consequently a rise in the ETH to BTC ratio, can be seen in Ethereum, which is up by 2.30% today to $3,910.