– US indices finished yesterday’s trading mixed. S&P 500 dropped 0.16%, Dow Jones moved 0.26% lower, Nasdaq gained 0.13% and Russell 2000 added 0.34%

– FOMC minutes triggered a hawkish reaction on the markets, with USD gaining somewhat and indices slashing gains. Document noted that a few FOMC members opted for a 50 bp rate hike and that all members agreed more tightening is needed

– Indices from Asia-Pacific traded mixed today. S&P/ASX 200 dropped 0.4%, Kospi moved 0.8% higher while Nifty 50 traded flat. Indices from China traded 0.2-0.4% lower

– DAX futures point to a slightly higher opening of the European cash session today

– Fed Williams said that demand is still exceeding supply and that monetary policy must ensure that balance is restored. Williams said that 2% inflation is foundational target 

– RBNZ Governor Orr said that cyclone-related price pressures may require higher rates to be kept for longer. Orr also said that a large inflationary shock would be needed for RBNZ to return to 75 bp rate hikes

– Australian capital expenditures increased 2.2% QoQ in Q4 2022 (exp. +1.0% QoQ)

– API report pointed to a 9.89 million barrel build in US oil inventories (exp. +1.1 mb)

– Nvidia rallied almost 9% in the after-hours trading, following the release of earnings report for November 2022 – January 2023 period. Revenue reached $6.05 billion (exp. $6.00 billion) while adjusted EPS came in at $0.88 (exp. $0.81). Company expects revenue to reach $6.5 billion in February – April period, above Wall Street estimate of $6.33 billion

– Cryptocurrencies are trading mostly higher – Bitcoin gains 1.1%, Ethereum adds 1.8% and Tezos jumps over 5%

– Energy commodities trade mixed – Brent and WTI trades 0.3-0.4% higher while US natural gas prices drop 0.2%

– Precious metals catch a bid amid USD weakening – gold gains 0.4%, silver adds 0.7% and platinum jumps 1%

– NZD and AUD are the best performing major currencies while USD and JPY lag the most