financetom
World
financetom
/
World
/
Morning Bid: All eyes on how Warsh walks the line
News World Market Environment Technology Personal Finance Politics Retail Business Economy Cryptocurrency Forex Stocks Market Commodities
Morning Bid: All eyes on how Warsh walks the line
Jun 16, 2026 9:55 PM

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Tom Westbrook

Kevin Warsh wraps up his first Federal Open Market Committee meeting with tumbling oil prices and a tentative peace offering a helpful backdrop for leaving interest rates on hold, as traders expect.

Market focus will be on how he votes, his news conference and how he navigates explaining the outlook.

Warsh is not a fan of "forward guidance", and may choose to refrain from offering a projection for interest rates as part of the quarterly economic outlook the U.S. central bank publishes.

But he was picked by U.S. President Donald Trump to cut rates and, with inflation above target and employment solid, markets expect a hike. So he will be asked about it and the dollar has been dithering this week, waiting to hear from him.

If he does not push back on market pricing, investors might take that as a hawkish signal. But if he does, then investors might worry about inflation - leaving a delicate task.

He'll also have to face a boardroom where his predecessor, Jerome Powell, still has a vote.

Perhaps the Bank of Japan's Deputy Governor Shinichi Uchida offered a template of a steady hand on Tuesday. He managed to preserve policy flexibility without spooking markets.

Uchida did have a bit of extra help from Japan's finance ministry, which is lurking just off-stage with threats to intervene in the currency market, should the yen fall again.

Asian markets traded mostly sideways on Wednesday, with Warsh the main show in town and sellers of oil taking a breather to wait for confirmed details of the U.S.-Iran agreement.

Brent futures have sunk below $80 a barrel on reports the U.S. plans lifting sanctions on Iranian oil. Other than the Fed show on Wednesday, Sweden's Riksbank is expected to be on hold but signal a hike could be coming later this year.

British inflation is seen creeping up to 3% thanks to higher oil prices, while final European readings are not expected to deviate from preliminary figures.

Key developments that could influence markets on Wednesday:

- Rate decisions in the U.S. and Sweden

- British inflation

- U.S. retail sales data

(Editing by Muralikumar Anantharaman)

Comments
Welcome to financetom comments! Please keep conversations courteous and on-topic. To fosterproductive and respectful conversations, you may see comments from our Community Managers.
Sign up to post
Sort by
Show More Comments
Related Articles >
Most Asia shares hold ground, Japan rate fears dent Nikkei
Most Asia shares hold ground, Japan rate fears dent Nikkei
Sep 29, 2024
SYDNEY (Reuters) - Asia share markets were mostly firmer on Monday as China announced more stimulus measures, though the Nikkei dived on concerns Japan's new prime minister favoured normalising interest rates. Continued Israeli strikes across Lebanon added geopolitical uncertainty to the mix, though oil prices were still weighed down by the risk of increased supply. [O/R] The week is packed...
Tokyo's Nikkei share average opens down 1.79%
Tokyo's Nikkei share average opens down 1.79%
Sep 29, 2024
TOKYO, Sept 30 (Reuters) - Japan's benchmark Nikkei share average opened down 1.79% at 39,117.83 on Monday, following a sharp strengthening of the yen at the end of last week with perceived-monetary-policy hawk Shigeru Ishiba set to become prime minister. The broader Topix shed 1.60% at 2,696.98. The yen surged about 1.9% on Friday and then reached the highest since...
Euro zone bond yields dip on rising rate cut bets, French-German gap widens
Euro zone bond yields dip on rising rate cut bets, French-German gap widens
Sep 29, 2024
(Updates moves at 1110 GMT) By Linda Pasquini LONDON, Sept 26 (Reuters) - The spread between French and German 10-year yields hit its widest in seven weeks on Thursday, as rising expectations that the ECB could cut rates in October boosted bond prices overall, but French bonds lagged amid domestic political jitters. Germany's 10-year yield fell 5 basis points to...
Morning Bid: Nikkei retreats, China rallies
Morning Bid: Nikkei retreats, China rallies
Sep 29, 2024
A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Wayne Cole. There's so much news it's hard to know where to start, what with strife in the Middle East and more stimulus measures out of Beijing. The Nikkei stole the early show with a drop of 4.6% as markets price in the risk of higher interest rates...
Copyright 2023-2026 - www.financetom.com All Rights Reserved