Buckle up 🎢 Three market moving events in five days, plus a live war in the Middle East underneath it all. Here is what matters before August opens.
🏛️ The Fed, July 29 FOMC decides Wednesday at 2:00pm ET. Rates have sat at 3.50 to 3.75% since June, but this time markets are actually debating a hike, not a cut. Inflation is reaccelerating and energy costs are back in the headlines. No dot plot this round, so Chair Kevin Warsh’s tone may move markets more than the decision itself. 🔍
📊 GDP and PCE Right on the Fed’s heels, the advance Q2 GDP estimate and June PCE, the Fed’s favorite inflation gauge, land before month end. Hot data firms up hike bets fast. Soft data flips the script. Either way, the final days of July get choppy.
💵 USD DXY is grinding near 101, its best level in a month, cooling slightly as oil pulls back. A hawkish Fed plus hot PCE could send it toward 102.
🥇 Gold Spot gold sits around 4,090 to 4,100 an ounce, bouncing off a nine month low after the US paused strikes on Iran over the weekend. Caught between safe haven demand and a firmer dollar, ready to swing either way on fresh headlines.
🛢️ Oil The real story of July. Brent spiked near 100 dollars a barrel at the peak of the Iran conflict and Red Sea attacks, then sank over 7% on the strike pause, back toward 90 to 92. This is the biggest swing factor for inflation, and for the Fed.
₿ Crypto Bitcoin holds around 64,000, stuck in a tight range as traders wait for rate clarity. A hawkish surprise could test lower support, a dovish tilt could spark a relief rally.
The takeaway: volatility is not a risk this week, it is the base case. 📈📉
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Fed Week + GDP/PCE: USD, Gold, Oil and Crypto Before Month End | NordFX Market Watch was originally published in Coinmonks on Medium, where people are continuing the conversation by highlighting and responding to this story.