Financial markets are gearing up for the busiest week this month

The PPI report confirmed Chairman Powell’s recent speech that while the October inflation data was encouraging, it will take much more effort to bring down inflation. But there is also a positive side. Annual inflation expectations fell to 4.6% from 4.9%, the lowest since September 2021, according to a University of Michigan survey.

The US Federal Reserve will hold its last meeting of the year this week. Experts point to a 78% chance that the Fed will raise rates by 0.5%. The probability of raising the rate by 0.75% is 21%. Meanwhile, US inflation data on Tuesday will shed light on the Fed’s future plans, which will set the tone for US indices and stocks for the rest of the year and the beginning of 2023.

The UK will publish the next GDP and Industrial Production Data today. Analysts believe that if the GDP shows a decline, the UK will move from the stagflation phase to a full-blown recession. The wage and price spiral could lead to hyperinflation and destabilize the economy. According to the latest CBI report, UK business investment continues to decline.

The Swiss National Bank (SNB) will meet on December 15 and is expected to decide on a third rate hike, this time probably by 50 basis points, in the context of stabilizing inflation at 3%. A further rate hike could come in March 2023, after which the SNB will probably pause for the rest of the year.

Gold and silver have been trading higher in recent weeks as the US dollar lost some ground due to an impending rate hike by the US Federal Reserve. But as central banks remain focused on curbing inflation through restrictive tightening of monetary policy, the fundamental component is not yet in favor of the precious metals. On the other hand, the tightening cycle is in its final stages, and investors are beginning to move into gold and silver in advance. But traders should understand that if recession fears weaken, the dollar index might strengthen again, which would have a negative impact on gold quotes.

Last week, black gold prices were falling as the EU and allies put a price cap on Russian oil. But oil prices rose on Friday and continued to rise in Asian morning trading on Monday as Russian President Vladimir Putin threatened to cut production in response to a Western price cap on Russian oil exports. Another factor in the rise in oil prices was the closure of a key oil pipeline between Canada and the United States over the weekend.

Asian markets traded flat last week. Japan’s Nikkei 225 (JP225) gained 0.53% over the week, China’s FTSE China A50 (CHA50) was down by 0.87%, Hong Kong’s Hang Seng (HK50) jumped by 3.53%, India’s NIFTY 50 (IND50) decreases by 0.84%, and Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 (AU200) was down by 1.21%.

Optimism about the cancellation of COVID measures in China was largely neutralized by fears that a large spike in local infections would delay a broader opening.

Wholesale prices in Japan fell from 9.4% to 9.3% year-over-year in November. The drop in producer prices points to a possible peak in inflation amid a decline in global commodity prices. Global commodity prices and the weakness of the yen, which increases the cost of imports, are pushing wholesale and consumer inflation upward. Japanese policymakers fear that such a trend could hurt Japan’s fragile economic recovery, so they are keeping rates at ultra-low levels.

In the commodities market, futures on orange juice (+5.45%), lumber (+3.76%), soybeans (+3.06%), and palladium (+2.86%) showed the biggest gains by the end of the week. Futures on WTI oil (-10.49%), BRENT oil (-10.23%), gasoline (-9.67%), wheat (-3.71%), coffee (-3.01%), and cotton (-2.62%) showed the biggest drop.