Trump says hit that brake; no, not that one
SPY•Events to watch on Tuesday
Key developments that could influence markets on Tuesday:
- Federal Open Market Committee
- British job data
- German ZEW economic sentiment, German wholesale price index; French CPI final
- U.S. ADP weekly employment change
Market worries over rates, oil and AI
U.S. President Donald Trump headed into the week facing a reckoning over two brakes: the one he wants the Federal Reserve to hit on interest rates, and the one he wants Silicon Valley to avoid hitting on artificial intelligence.
Even though Trump said the U.S. "should be paying the lowest interest rate in the world," more than 90% of market participants are pricing in the first rate hike by Chair Kevin Warsh, who was appointed by the president, at a two-day meeting starting later on Tuesday.
Inflation concerns deriving from escalating tensions in the Middle East have shown no sign of ending, with attacks on Saudi Arabian energy infrastructure fanning oil supply concerns and pushing prices higher. Brent LCOc1 was recently up 1.19% to $106.94 a barrel and U.S. crude CLc1 gained 1.32% to $102.73.
Overnight, U.S. benchmark 10-year Treasury yields hit the key psychological level of 5% for the first time since October 2023. Tracking the move, Japan's benchmark 10-year government bond yield rose again to 3% ahead of the Bank of Japan's policy meeting, at which investors expect a quarter-point rate hike to 1.25%.
Rising U.S. Treasury yields could dent momentum in AI-fuelled American equities. But warning signs are flashing, as industry leaders have expressed their alarm about AI harming people and urged Washington to regulate the sector.
Trump shrugged off those concerns on Monday, saying that the U.S. already has guardrails in place to regulate and prosecute AI companies. In a social media post, he said China would benefit from hindering AI development.
