Continued concerns of U.S. economic growth negatively affected by lower global growth and statements of some Federal Reserve Bank officials indicating it’s too soon to consider lowering rates, limited U.S. stock market gains and helped push commodity markets lower through Wednesday last week.
Overcoming concerns of China resisting U.S. trade demands, commodity and U.S stock markets initially reacted positively to statements released after the end of the 2-day FOMC meeting on Wednesday indicating the U.S Federal Reserve would not raise rates in 2019 and would end the wind-down of its balance sheet by September.
Stronger-than-expected durable goods orders, consumer sentiment and job openings numbers combined with tepid inflation numbers overcame larger-than-expected jobless claims and disappointing industrial production numbers and helped push commodity and U.S. stock markets higher.
Uncertainty over the completion of a U.S. –China trade agreement and weak economic numbers from the U.S., EU and China pushed most commodity prices and the U.S. stock markets lower last week.
Vacillating expectations of a US-China trade agreement and a combination of Fed Chairman Jerome Powell’s congressional comments and mixed U.S. economic reports left U.S stock markets and the U.S dollar little changed on the week.
Increasing expectations of a U.S.-China trade agreement and growing conviction the U.S. Federal Reserve Bank won’t raise rates this year helped move commodity and stock markets higher last week.