• US 2023 fiscal deficit $1.695 trillion vs $1.375 trillion in 2022
• Canada August retail sales -0.1% versus -0.3% expected
• Fed’s Harker: Now is the time to hold rates steady
• Jim Jordan loses secret ballot to remain House speaker nominee
• Hostages released from Gaza are currently with the Red Cross – report
• Fed’s Mester: Looking at lots of data on mon pol, including money supply
• Baker Hughes US oil rig count 502 vs 501 prior
• UAW Pres. to present plans to workers later today
• Feds Mester: Fed is at or near the peak of the rate hike cycle
• Fed’s Bostic: We are not going to see a recession
• Canada’s tallest building goes into bankruptcy, not even half-built

Markets:

• WTI crude down 20-cents to $88.14
• US 10-year yields down 7.6 bps to 4.91%
• Gold up $5 to $1978
• S&P 500 down 56 points, or 13%
• GBP leads, NZD lags

Equities took another beating but there were signs of optimism elsewhere. Buyers arrived in fixed income after a test of 10s early in US trading that got to 4.995% but not through. Gold and oil gave back gains, in part due to a report about hostage negotiations in Gazaw.

In FX, there was some stability that might have been paralysis as 150.00 continues to hold in USD/JPY and uncertainty reigns. The antipodeans were soft but not overly so as AUD/USD fell 17 pips and NZD/USD declined by 22 — both staying in recent ranges.

Cable reflected some of the optimism as it trended to 1.2165 from 1.2100 as it marked a double bottom just below the figure. The euro also chopped higher.

In all, the deep confusion about what will happen in bonds, USD/JPY and the Middle East is making for a wait-and-see market. Stocks were hit hard though in a broad move as TSLA continues to retreat following a disappointing earnings report. Next week will be critical with a busy slate of earnings including Microsoft, Alphabet and Visa on Tuesday.

This article was written by Adam Button at www.forexlive.com.