Borrow
Bank of England expected to provide guidance on future rate cuts at today's MPC meeting
Borrow
Bank of England expected to provide guidance on future rate cuts at today's MPC meeting
European and UK stocks are outperforming their US counterparts due to a combination of factors, including high valuations in the US, strong corporate earnings from European companies, and expectations of looser monetary policies in Europe and the UK, according to Ipek Ozkardeskaya, Senior Analyst at Swissquote Bank.
Bank of England expected to provide guidance on future rate cuts at today's MPC meeting
European and UK stocks are outperforming their US counterparts due to a combination of factors, including high valuations in the US, strong corporate earnings from European companies, and expectations of looser monetary policies in Europe and the UK, according to Ipek Ozkardeskaya, Senior Analyst at Swissquote Bank.
The Stoxx 600 and the FTSE 100 reached new record highs yesterday, while the S&P 500 stalled. The AI rally, which has been driving major US indices, appears to be losing momentum, with companies like Nvidia and AMD experiencing declines from their March peaks.
The US Federal Reserve (Fed) remains committed to its inflation target, with recent comments from Fed speakers Susan Collins and Lisa Cook suggesting that reaching the 2% goal may take longer than previously anticipated. Cook also noted that firms have ample earnings to cover debt payments and that financial firms are well-positioned to absorb shocks.
In contrast, central banks in Europe are taking a different approach. The Swiss National Bank (SNB) lowered its policy rate in Q1 due to a sufficient slowdown in inflation, and the Riksbank opted for a 25bp cut yesterday, signaling the possibility of two more rate cuts this year. The European Central Bank (ECB) is expected to cut rates in June, and the Bank of England (BoE) may provide more details on its plans to lower rates at today's Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) meeting.
European policymakers are determined to ease their monetary policies regardless of the Fed's actions, despite the risk of currency depreciation and increased domestic price pressures. As long as the dollar's appreciation remains manageable, the European currencies may continue to depreciate against the US dollar.
The BoE is not expected to cut its policy rate today, but the MPC is anticipated to have less agreement on the timing of future rate cuts. Four out of nine MPC members are considered hawkish, while Governor Bailey has shifted his stance from "it's too early to talk about cuts" to "the inflation dynamics between the US and UK are diverging." Some analysts see a small chance of a BoE rate cut in June, alongside the ECB, but a more realistic scenario is an August cut.
The British Pound (GBP) is currently trading in a bearish consolidation zone, and unless unexpectedly hawkish statements are made, it is likely to continue attracting sellers near the 1.25 level leading up to next week's US inflation report.
RELATED ARTICLES
Banking
RBA holds interest rates steady at 3.6% amid strong labour market and inflation concerns
In a widely anticipated move, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) announced that it would maintain the cash rate at 3.6%. The decision was unanimous, reflecting a cautious approach as the central bank ...Read more
Banking
Hardship is the new conduct frontier: A bank’s playbook for turning ASIC scrutiny into ROI
ASIC has put financial hardship on its 2025 enforcement radar, shifting lender performance from a customer service problem to a board-level conduct risk. This case study examines how an Australian ...Read more
Banking
RBA flags price uplift as Home Guarantee expansion accelerates: what it means for banks, builders and the bottom line
Australia’s expanded Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS) has been brought forward to 1 October, compressing a multi‑year policy shift into weeks. The RBA expects the changes to lift borrowing capacity and add ...Read more
Banking
ASIC's crackdown on private credit sector gains support from industry veteran
In the wake of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission's (ASIC) recent regulatory actions, Richard Woodhead, Founder and Managing Director of GPS Investment Fund, has voiced strong ...Read more
Banking
Why central banks are ditching Treasuries for gold and what it means for business leaders
Gold’s renaissance is no longer just an investor narrative; it’s a reserve‑management strategy. Multiple reports indicate central bank gold holdings now exceed US Treasuries by value for the first ...Read more
Banking
AMP Bank GO strengthens fraud protection with innovative security measures
AMP Bank GO has emerged as a formidable player in the fight against financial fraud, with its innovative security measures setting new standards in the digital banking sector. Since its launch in ...Read more
Banking
APRA’s hybrid exit is a A$43bn catalyst: who captures the flow—bank credit or private credit?
Australia’s phase-out of bank hybrids isn’t just a regulatory clean-up—it’s a forced portfolio reallocation the size of a mid-tier super fund. Read more
Banking
AMP Bank GO adds business overdraft to mobile platform for small businesses
AMP Bank has launched a business overdraft feature within its mobile-first banking platform AMP Bank GO as cash flow concerns continue to affect small business owners across Australia. Read more
Banking
RBA holds interest rates steady at 3.6% amid strong labour market and inflation concerns
In a widely anticipated move, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) announced that it would maintain the cash rate at 3.6%. The decision was unanimous, reflecting a cautious approach as the central bank ...Read more
Banking
Hardship is the new conduct frontier: A bank’s playbook for turning ASIC scrutiny into ROI
ASIC has put financial hardship on its 2025 enforcement radar, shifting lender performance from a customer service problem to a board-level conduct risk. This case study examines how an Australian ...Read more
Banking
RBA flags price uplift as Home Guarantee expansion accelerates: what it means for banks, builders and the bottom line
Australia’s expanded Home Guarantee Scheme (HGS) has been brought forward to 1 October, compressing a multi‑year policy shift into weeks. The RBA expects the changes to lift borrowing capacity and add ...Read more
Banking
ASIC's crackdown on private credit sector gains support from industry veteran
In the wake of the Australian Securities and Investments Commission's (ASIC) recent regulatory actions, Richard Woodhead, Founder and Managing Director of GPS Investment Fund, has voiced strong ...Read more
Banking
Why central banks are ditching Treasuries for gold and what it means for business leaders
Gold’s renaissance is no longer just an investor narrative; it’s a reserve‑management strategy. Multiple reports indicate central bank gold holdings now exceed US Treasuries by value for the first ...Read more
Banking
AMP Bank GO strengthens fraud protection with innovative security measures
AMP Bank GO has emerged as a formidable player in the fight against financial fraud, with its innovative security measures setting new standards in the digital banking sector. Since its launch in ...Read more
Banking
APRA’s hybrid exit is a A$43bn catalyst: who captures the flow—bank credit or private credit?
Australia’s phase-out of bank hybrids isn’t just a regulatory clean-up—it’s a forced portfolio reallocation the size of a mid-tier super fund. Read more
Banking
AMP Bank GO adds business overdraft to mobile platform for small businesses
AMP Bank has launched a business overdraft feature within its mobile-first banking platform AMP Bank GO as cash flow concerns continue to affect small business owners across Australia. Read more
