Fed not in ‘Hurry’ to Change Rates Amid Global Risks – Rates are currently “appropriate,” Powell said in a wide-ranging interview with CBS’s 60 Minutes news show in which he called the current rate level “appropriate” and “roughly neutral,” meaning it is neither stimulating or curbing the economy.
Global Economic Data
Draghi’s Long Farewell May Delay ECB Guidance move
Gold Silver Reports (GSR) – Some European Central Bank policymakers are reluctant to alter their guidance on interest rates as a move could tie the hands of the bank’s next president many months before an appointment is even made, four sources close to the matter said.
Wall Street’s view on Trump’s talk of firing Fed Chair Jerome Powell: ‘Utter madness’
President D. Trump’s growing dissatisfaction with Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell could be veering into dangerous territory. With the Fed embarked on a campaign to tighten monetary policy, the president has repeatedly attacked Powell, reportedly fearful that a volatile market – and the attendant possibility of an economic downturn – could endanger his reelection prospects.
Gold Steadies Near One Week High; All eyes on Fed
Gold Silver Reports (GSR) Spot gold was up 0.26 percent at $1,249.11 per ounce at 1:50 p.m., having earlier touched its highest level since Dec. 10 at $1,250.27, just short of a five-month peak of $1,250.55 hit last week.
Fed is Expected to Raise Interest Rates Wednesday
The Fed is expected to raise interest rates Wednesday by a quarter point, and the pressure is on for Fed Chairman Jerome Powell to sound dovish — but not too dovish. Fed officials are also expected to revisit their fed funds rate forecasts and roll back some of the rate hikes expected in the next several years.
Economic Outlook Hits Trump-Era Low On Election Results, Dow Jones
The IBD/TIPP Economic Optimism Index slid 3.8 points to 52.6 in early December, matching April’s 2018 low. Even as wage growth has accelerated to a nine-year high, the six-month economic outlook sank to its lowest since just before President Donald Trump won the 2016 election. Midterm election results and recent weakness in the Dow Jones industrial average and overall stock market likely weighed on sentiment.
Fed Concerns Aren’t Over For the Market Yet
Trade relations between China and the U.S. overshadow most everything as stocks enter the month of December, but in the week ahead the Fed and U.S. economy come back into play with important Fed testimony and the November employment report.
Gold Not Ready For ‘Fly’ Despite Powell’s Dovish Comments – Gold Silver Reports
Gold Silver Reports (GSR) – Gold is not ready to break out of its trading range just yet. The Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell is sending dovish signals into the marketplace.
G20 Meeting Could Trigger Rebound in Commodities Prices: Goldman
Gold Silver Reports (GSR) – “Given the size of dislocations in commodity pricing relative to fundamentals, with oil now having joined metals in pricing below cost support, we believe commodities offer an extremely attractive entry point for longs in oil, gold and base (metals),” the bank said in a note.
Gold Up on Concerns over growth; focus on Fed, G20
“People are moving some capital into gold at this time, given the uncertainties around the pace of rate hikes by the U.S. Federal Reserve, the U.S.-China trade war,” said Brian Lan, managing director at Singapore dealer GoldSilver Central.