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I’m convinced that Nutella is the second most important invention after the wheel. So yes, I’m an unapologetic hazelnut fan.That said, a few months ago I started to notice something odd. The price of natural hazelnuts had more or less doubled. Shortly after, they became surprisingly hard to find, at least in supermarkets where they had always been readily available.That caught my attention. And it made me wonder whether something unusual had happened, or was still unfolding, in the hazelnut market.Hazelnuts: a commodity shock without a marketHazelnuts are a small commodity with an unusually concentrated supply chain. Around 70% of…

India’s foreign exchange reserves reached a new all-time high in the week ended January 23, according to the Reserve Bank of India’s latest data. Foreign exchange reserves rose sharply by $8.053 billion in the week to $709.413 billion, driven by a jump in both gold reserves and foreign currency assets.Over the past few weeks, the forex kitty has been largely in an uptrend. Its previous high was $704.89 billion, touched in September 2024. For the reported week (that ended January 23), India’s foreign currency assets (FCA), the largest component of foreign exchange reserves, stood at $562.885 billion, up $2.367 billion.The…

The U.S. dollar gained on Friday after former Federal Reserve Governor Kevin Warsh was selected to be the next ⁠Fed chair, and as the U.S. currency recovered from a sharp selloff earlier in the week that analysts say was overdone in the short-term. President Donald Trump on Friday chose Warsh to head the U.S. central bank when Jerome Powell’s leadership term ends in May. Warsh is seen as likely to support lower interest rates but would stop ‌well short of the ‌more aggressive easing associated with some of the other potential nominees. Marc Chandler, chief market strategist at Bannockburn Global…

The rupee closed at a record closing low Friday, just two paise above the 92/$1 level, as timely interventions from the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) helped the local monetary unit from breaching the psychologically significant level ahead of the Budget on Sunday. Still, it was the worst month for the rupee in more than three years. “Only intervention by RBI has allowed the rupee to remain protected from crossing the 92 levels,” said Anil Bhansali, head of treasury at Finrex Treasury Advisors. “Because there has been very good dollar demand on a daily basis, the rupee on its own…

EUR/USD drops during the North American session, down by 0.75% amid a session characterized by overall US Dollar strength, sponsored by Trump’s mild-hawkish pick to lead the Federal Reserve and an inflation report that warrants steady rates by the Federal Reserve. At the time of writing, the pair traded at 1.1882 down from daily highs of 1.1974.Euro sinks below 1.19 as hawkish Fed leadership signals and sticky inflation crush rate-cut hopesKevin Warsh is Trump’s election to be the next Fed Chairman of the Federal Reserve, confirming rumors that leaked late on Thursday. The financial markets sent precious metals tumbling, while…

The United States (US) Federal Reserve (Fed) had a busy week. On Monday, the Fed asked local New York banks about their positions in USD/JPY, fueling speculation that the US may be preparing to work with Japan on the Japanes Yen’s (JPY) weakness. The news triggered a sharp US Dollar (USD) sell-off at the beginning of the week.Mid-week, the Fed had its monetary policy meeting. The central bank held its target range for the federal funds rate unchanged at 3.50%-3.75%, as expected. Chairman Jerome Powell’s press conference was focused on politics, Powell’s future, and the subpoena, topics he declined to…

Unconfirmed reports suggest that China may inject RMB 200 billion into large insurers to bolster their capital buffers, alongside an additional RMB 300 billion into major banks. This move aims to support the banking sector amid downward pressure on net interest margins. The PBoC’s USD/CNY fixing has remained below the 7.0000 level, aided by a weaker Dollar, note Lin Li, Asian Head of Global Markets Research and Khang Sek Lee, Research Associate at MUFG Bank.Government support for banking sector”If true, it is considered timely as the China Banking and Insurance News reported in November that more than two-thirds of the…

• Major indexes edged lower as investors digested Trump’s nomination of Kevin Warsh to succeed Fed Chair Powell in May.• Verizon surged on strong subscriber growth and upbeat 2026 guidance, while American Express fell despite a revenue beat.• Silver plunged over 17% in a dramatic reversal from record highs, triggering profit-taking across precious metals.• Despite Friday’s pullback, all three major averages posted solid gains for January, capping a strong start to 2026.The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) slipped around 200 points on Friday, falling 0.2% as investors weighed President Donald Trump’s nomination of former Federal Reserve (Fed) Governor Kevin Warsh…

DBS Bank’s Group Research discusses the upcoming Reserve Bank of India (RBI) monetary policy committee meeting scheduled for February 6, 2026. The report anticipates that the RBI will maintain its current interest rates, citing a firm growth impulse despite trade tensions and inflation that is off its lows. The Indian Rupee has faced depreciation pressures, and the RBI is expected to focus on liquidity and currency risks.RBI monetary policy outlook”The RBI monetary policy committee will decide on rates on 6-February. The MPC lowered rates in December 2025, along our expectations, but is expected to refrain from cutting rates further in…

Korea’s industrial production growth rebounded in December, indicating robust export growth. President Lee has signaled a potential supplementary budget to support various sectors, which could pose upside risks to Korea’s growth. The KRW has appreciated against the USD this week, reflecting positive sentiment, note Lin Li, Asian Head of Global Markets Research and Khang Sek Lee, Research Associate at MUFG Bank.Focus on supplementary budget potential”Separately, President Lee continued to release signal that a supplementary budget may be introduced this year, in part to support culture and arts sector and new startup incubation initiative.””While it is unclear whether it will ultimately…