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August 15 - A 7.7-magnitude earthquake struck off the coast of Flores Island, Indonesia, early on August 15, according to the Indonesian Meteorology, Climatology and Geophysics Agency (BMKG). No casualties have been reported so far. The BMKG stated that the epicenter was located 30 kilometers northeast of Mbai town in East Nusa Tenggara province, at a depth of 15 kilometers. A tsunami warning has been issued for the earthquake.On August 15th, US President Trump confirmed on the 14th that the USS Lincoln aircraft carrier, whose long-term deployment to the Middle East has led to questions about living conditions and crew mental health, will be replaced. Speaking to reporters at Joint Base Andrews, Maryland, Trump said the USS Lincoln was "on or about to" depart and would be "replaced by another very similar ship." On the 13th, US sources reported that the US was preparing to send the USS George Washington to the Middle East to replace the USS Lincoln. When asked about growing concerns among the families of service members about the crews safety, Trump said, "No, they arent." He also stated that the USS Lincolns deployment time of nearly nine months was "far too short."The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre has revised the magnitude of the earthquake in the Flores region of Indonesia from 7.4 to 6.9.The European-Mediterranean Seismological Centre reports a 7.4-magnitude earthquake in the Flores region of Indonesia.August 15th - Following the exposure of the pressure on the US Patriot interceptor stockpile during the Iraq War, defense companies such as Boeing, Lockheed Martin, Northrop Grumman, and Raytheon are racing to develop lower-cost, faster-producible missiles. In the past, the US defense industry continuously added advanced guidance and propulsion systems to missiles, resulting in a unit price exceeding $4 million and production cycles of several years. Now, the Pentagon is demanding that companies "change or be eliminated," hoping to counter cheap threats such as drones at a lower cost. Lockheed Martin has launched a low-cost version of the ACE interceptor, costing only about $2 million per missile, less than half the cost of the enhanced PAC-3 MSE; Boeing is developing an "ultra-low-cost" guidance head, planning to reduce its cost percentage; Northrop Grumman has launched the Strike Hunter system; and Raytheon is expanding the application of its Coyote low-cost anti-drone missile. The US Army states that not all targets require the most advanced and expensive interceptor systems. However, most low-cost solutions will still require several years before mass production.

GBP/USD falls to around 1.2370 as the BoE considers taking swift action ahead of UK inflation and US purchasing managers' indices

Alina Haynes

Apr 17, 2023 13:53

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On Monday morning, the GBP/USD currency pair retested an intraday low of 1.2390 after extending Sunday's decline from a 10-month high. To provoke adverse after breaking a four-week uptrend, the Cable pair explains the most recent concerns emanating from the United Kingdom (UK) and the optimism surrounding the Federal Reserve (Fed).

 

According to the Financial Times (FT), "The Bank of England is considering a major overhaul of its deposit guarantee scheme, including increasing the amount covered for businesses and compelling banks to pre-fund the system to a greater extent to ensure faster access to cash when a lender collapses."  The revelation fuels banking concerns in the United Kingdom and places pressure on the Cable duo.

 

UK Chancellor Jeremy Hunt's concerns about US subsidies may also be exerting downward pressure on the GBP/USD exchange rate as British firms rush to claim benefits before leaving the country. According to the news, "Chancellor Jeremy Hunt warned Sky News that Britain should be wary of any new subsidies, warning that they could undermine the economy and possibly even spark a protectionist trade war."

 

A larger-than-expected decline in US retail sales was unable to offset positive data from US industrial production and the University of Michigan's (UoM) consumer confidence index from the previous day. Despite this, US retail sales decreased by 1.0% in March compared to the predicted -0.4% decline and February's -0.2% decline. As opposed to the 0.2% market consensus and previous reading, Industrial Production increased by 0.4% in the month in question. The preliminary result of the University of Michigan's (UoM) Consumer Confidence Index for April, which increased to 63.5 from 62.0 analysts' expectations and previous readings, was also encouraging. In addition, inflation forecasts for the next year increased from 3.6% in March to 4.6% in April, while inflation forecasts for the next five years decreased by 2.9% during the same month.

 

Notably, Fed officials have recently appeared more hawkish than their BoE counterparts, which has exerted additional pressure on the GBP/USD exchange rate.

 

In this environment, the S&P 500 Futures exhibit modest gains following Wall Street's pessimistic close, while bond yields remain unchanged following weekly increases.

 

Moving forward, the current week is crucial for GBP/USD speculators as it contains a variety of high-quality inflation, employment, and UK PMI data. These data may be used to support the Bank of England's (BoE) officials' waning hawkish inclination and may keep bears in play. However, the US PMIs and Fed discussions should not be disregarded when looking for clear guidelines.