Here’s what my colleague, market strategist Mike “Willo” Wilson says happened while we were sleeping… US stocks recovered after dip buyers came in to lift indexes off the day’s lows, driven in part by optimism on the US-China backdrop and solid company earnings filtering through. The dollar wasn’t so lucky with Aussie and kiwi the main beneficiaries as both posted sizable gains ahead of the Reserve Bank’s interest rate decision later today. A wild ride in US Treasuries overnight may be food for thought for Australia’s central bank amid expectations of a 25 basis-point cut, but carefully delivered to avoid an overreaction in local bonds. Futures indicate a positive start for the ASX. Donald Trump's phone call with Vladimir Putin revealed the US president is no longer pushing for a ceasefire in Ukraine and is not threatening new sanctions on Russia. European leaders are disappointed and fear that Trump is disengaging from diplomatic efforts to end the war, leaving Ukraine and its allies on their own. Two Federal Reserve officials, including New York Fed chief John Williams, suggested policymakers may not be ready to lower interest rates before September as they confront a murky economic outlook. The US Justice Department has opened a probe into a recent breach at the leading cryptocurrency exchange Coinbase Global, according to a person familiar with the matter. Coinbase has said the hack involved criminals bribing employees and contractors in India to obtain client data. New York Fed President John Williams. Photographer: Michael Nagle/Bloomberg While using web site data to build a Google Search topped with artificial intelligence-generated answers, an Alphabet Inc. executive acknowledged in an internal document that there was an alternative way to do things: They could ask web publishers for permission, or let them directly opt out of being included. |