Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's closely watched Jackson Hole speech on Friday boosted optimism in markets that the U.S. central bank is poised to ease rates, sending investors to pile into riskier assets and interest-rate-sensitive sectors.

In his final address as Fed chair at the Jackson Hole, Wyoming, economic symposium, Powell hinted at a September interest rate cut but stopped short of committing, striking a careful balance between mounting job-market risks and lingering inflation pressures.

"Powell was more dovish than the market expected, but he is responding to the weakening of the labor market, recognizing the risks there. So it sets us up for a September cut. That's a positive," said Jay Hatfield, chief executive officer at Infrastructure Capital Management. (Reuters – Continue Reading)

The views German managers have about their prospects are unlikely to show much variation this month after Washington and Brussels added further details to their trade deal.

An economists’ poll said the headline business climate index for Germany due Monday from the country’s Ifo economics institute is forecast to tick higher to 88.8 points from last month’s reading of 88.6.

The expectations measure of the index for the coming six months is projected to ease to 90.5 points from 90.7 in July, with August’s current assessment reading estimated at 86.7 versus 86.5 in the previous month.

A two-tenth rise in the one component would normally balance out a two-tenth fall in the other, which could leave the headline reading unchanged this month. Any decline in the overall measure would be the first this year. (LiveSquawk – Continue Reading)

European Central Bank officials are increasingly convinced they can keep interest rates unchanged in September, according to people familiar with the matter who don’t see the trade deal between Brussels and Washington causing major economic concerns.

Since rates were left at 2% last month, growth and inflation have developed largely in line with the ECB’s June outlook, said the people, asking not to be identified discussing confidential debates. That foresaw price pressures dipping in 2026 before hitting the 2% goal again in 2027. (Bloomberg – Continue Reading)

Canada will remove all tariffs on goods from the United States that are covered by the Canada-U.S.-Mexico Agreement (CUSMA) by Sept. 1, Prime Minister Mark Carney announced on Friday.

The prime minister said Canada will maintain its tariffs on steel, aluminum and autos as the Liberal government works with the U.S. to craft a new trading relationship between the two countries.

Carney said that despite the ongoing trade war, and U.S. tariffs on steel, aluminum, autos, copper, lumber and energy, 85 per cent of trade with the U.S. is still tariff-free, which is a better deal than other countries have. (CBC – Continue Reading)

On social media this past Monday, we pointed to the $4,200 level on Ether as possible support, while warning that breaching that level could lead to a flush out to $3,600 or lower. Since that post, Ether did break the $4,200 support level, but then largely trended sideways.

That said, it appears Ether could be setting a short-term top both technically and fundamentally. (LiveSquawk – Continue Reading)