Expectations of lower US interest rates continue to lift stocks. Markets currently have no doubts that the Fed will cut interest rates by 0.25 percent in September. point. This helped the RUSSELL 2000 index of smaller US companies the most, which rose 3.5 percent yesterday. and increased by almost 12 percent during the week.
The S&P 500 index, the most watched by investors, rose between 0.6 percent and 1.6 percent during the corresponding period. Better-than-expected retail sales data also contributed to the rising markets. On the raw materials front, the demand for gold, which grew by about 20 percent this year, continues to be unabated. has risen to a record high.
UK inflation was unchanged in June. Economists expected price growth to slow to 1.9 percent, but inflation remained unchanged at 2 percent. Although such inflation is one of the lowest in western countries, the prices of services are growing by as much as 5.7 percent. speed Markets are still speculating about what the Bank of England will do, as the odds of a cut at the August 1 meeting are 50/50. In the last week, the Swedish shares (OMX 30 +3.1%) stood out the most in the European markets, which are mainly due to expected interest rate cuts. Some economists now believe that if July's inflation is below 2 percent, it is possible to get an interest rate cut of even half a percent in August.
