Next Week’s Menu: March 14-20, 2026 March 13, 2026 Central Banks: Numerous central banks have scheduled monetary policy reviews this coming week, led by the Federal Reserve, Bank of Japan, European Central Bank, Swiss National Bank and Bank of England and also including central banks in Australia, Armenia, Brazil, China, Indonesia, Taiwan, Canada, Russia, Sweden,…
Dollar Continues Rising But Stocks and Sovereign Debt Yields Pause Ahead of U.S. Data Reports March 13, 2026 The weighted dollar index climbed another 0.4% overnight, moving above 100.0 for first time since November 25. The Korean won briefly touched 1500, its weakest level since March 31, 2009 when the global financial crisis was still…
Coping with a Massive Oil Price Shock March 12, 2026 Tomorrow will mark just two weeks since the start of the latest Middle Eastern war. At $94.10, the current price of West Texas Intermediate oil is 7.8% higher than yesterday, 45% above its pre-conflict level, and 71% greater than the recent low in December. This…
Investors Wait Uneasily for U.S. February CPI on Otherwise Light Day for Data Releases March 11, 2026 Despite Trump’s prediction that the war in Iran is nearly done, Iran still shows no inclination to negotiate. Ships aren’t going through the Strait of Hormuz, and the price of oil has rebounded over 3% to remain well…
Trump Speaks and Markets Follow March 10, 2026 In these weeks of incredible geopolitical uncertainty, U.S. President Trump’s verbal sound track has emerged as the the dominant short-term determinant of financial market movements. One can only imagine the massive personal wealth that could be amassed from such powerful influence. With fierce Middle East bombing broadening…
Surging Oil Price Takes Command of Everything Else March 9, 2026 (149) At today’s high, the $119.48 peak in West Texas Intermediate oil had leaped by a total 117% in less than three months and was 84% above its closing level on February 27 just before the start of Operation Epic Fury. The price has…
Celebrating the Return of Daylight Savings Time March 8, 2026 Let’s give a collective round of applause for the return of daylight savings time! Seeing the sun set at close to 7:00 PM tonight, something that hasn’t happened since the third week in September, will no doubt constitute a vast and most welcome improvement. Winter…
Next Week’s Menu: March 7-13, 2026 March 6, 2026 Central Banks: Pakistan, Turkey, Peru and Serbia have scheduled monetary policy reviews during the week. Holiday and Events: The Islamic holy month-long observance of Ramadan continues. The United States and Canada go on daylight savings time this Sunday, which will slice the time differential between GMT…
Middle East War Not Going As Well As Anticipated But the Dollar’s Doing Fine March 6, 2026 The military conflict against Iran was supposed to be different from others like those involving Venezuela, Ukraine, Gaza, Iraq, Afghanistan, or to go back 60 years Vietnam. Most importantly, no ground troops would be needed, so U.S. casualties…
Fate, Stress of the Job, Divine Intervention or Just Sheer Coincidence March 5, 2026 Whatever the reason, there is a pattern of short-lived retirements of American presidents who presided over the country’s major wars. It starts with James Polk, a one-term president for the four years through March 4, 1849. It was on his watch…