US GDP and World Economic Forum Friday 01.29.2010
The equity markets are quiet from the overnight as we saw follow through from yesterday's selling pressure in the US spill into the Asian Markets. That bearish sentiment was supported with BOJ Gov. Shirikawa comments that he would take whatever actions were required to provide financial stability. As the European Markets opened the bulls came out with an open above the previous days close on improved earnings, and some optimism that the US GDP would show improvement in the US economy. This ahs US futures pointing a little higher going into today's open.
The USD index held strong to recent gains, but we did see the JPY retreat which means the JPY pairs moved higher overnight.
Care should be taken in the markets today as the World Economic Forum is underway with global Central Bankers and Finance Ministers providing commentary throughtout the day from Davos. These meetings are open to the media, and various attendees do speak to the press at this event.
China's Finance Minister has already voiced concern about overheated markets driven by US carry trades, where investors borrow the low interest US Dollar to make investments in foreign markets with higher yields. That being said, today's investors seem to be encouraged by better than expected earnings news,and the prospect of a strong print of the quarterly US GDP.
Currency pairs have moved in narrow ranges overnight (this includes the Yen pairs with a weaker JPY) ahead of the GDP post, so support and resist that defines the ranges could be easily broken once the markets decide how to react to the news.