U.S claims still strong / #XAUUSD / Copper / UST inversion / Davos ends / JPN inflation 41y highs

Year of the rabbit coming up!

Initial claims for state unemployment benefits dropped 15,000 to a seasonally adjusted 190,000 for the week ended Jan. 14, the Labor Department said on Thursday, this is astonishing really..when you think the 5y trend average is 245K... >>> hence FED member remain fairly hawkish, ''higher for longer'' (yes we've peaked clearly, yes inflation will fall relatively rapidly from 7 to 4% (not 2%), but the BIG question is about all those cuts (over 200bps) priced in already for 2023 and '24 some. We know overall macro data has been super weak (hence the 100bps plunge in 10y rates since Dec..!!..) but employment remains strong, so long this picture remains, 'mild recession-slowdown' for now is most likely scenario IMHO

Trafigura : “If we want to reach net zero by 2050, we need to have two-thirds of energy from renewable sources by 2030. In that scenario, we need a 20% increase in production per annum of copper."

Japan trade minister Nishimura says will ask businesses to hike wages by 5% and more >> must be the only? country in the world (strong coalition..) where the Trade Minister is telling the Unions to go and get a 5pct pay rise, Japan's consumer inflation hits fresh 41-year high, at 4%, keeping BOJ in focus

KB Homes, a large home builder, just reported a 68% 'cancel' rate. Meaning that over 2/3 of Homebuyers walked away from their contracts in the quarter. Leaving KB Homes with a massive pile-up of inventory

European Central Bank member says market is mispricing rate hikes, expects more to come (Knot)

Fed's Williams says Fed needs more rate rises to cool inflation, ''to bring down inflation it will require a period of below-trend growth and some softening of labour conditions''

Federal Reserve Vice Chair Lael Brainard said Thursday that high inflation in the United States is easing and suggested it was possible that the Fed’s interest rate hikes could slow price acceleration without causing significant job losses

JPM's Marko Kolanovic negates market optimism, goes full bear. We think "markets that are heading towards recession are being further aggravated by central bank tightening. We think that recession is currently not priced in equity markets.''

The U.S. could be in the middle of a fiscal crisis in a few months as the government hit its $31.4 trillion borrowing limit

Genesis (not the band) files for bankruptcy

The 30y US mortgage rate has moved from over 7%% to 6.10% over the last 2months, the largest 2months decline in rates since 2008/09

European gas prices are on track for their longest run of weekly losses in almost three years

USDollar remains soft (ish) overall but near key supports. USDJPY 127-28 support though for now, CABLE near Dec highs around 1.2400, AUDUSD needs 'risk' to do okay to rally .7000+ again. EURUSD 1.08-1.0900 long-term resistance too

GOLD above cluster of resistance 1915/25$, sustained break above $1935+ and the bulls will love it, XAGUSD needs $24.50+ >>> US debt $31trn+, risk usd losing it's dominance long-term - FT article below - all interesting long-term stuff...

Equity markets 'struggling/peaked near resistance levels', on still pretty hawkish Fed and ECB. SPX500, we all know about resistance levels 4K+, the bulls want to hold 3850+ overall - ''early 2023 euphoria-momentum-short-covering'' clearly stalled...

UST's, we've seen a near 100bp drop in 10y yields since Dec, can we really go any lower/more inversion ?

Fears of US default grow as politicians squabble over raising the debt ceiling. Existing borrowing limits to be reached this week but ‘extraordinary measures’ will hold back the crisis until late summer >>> 1y CDS near 2013 highs