Morning Juice – US Session Prep (30th December)

Sentiment
Stocks struggled for direction in the final trading days of the year, with a lack of catalysts weighing on momentum. The S&P 500 was set to edge lower after two consecutive declines, while European equities advanced as rising metal prices lifted mining stocks. Asian markets were mixed. Precious metals stabilized, with silver and gold regaining their footing after pulling back from recent all-time highs.

In currencies, China’s onshore yuan strengthened past the key 7-per-dollar level for the first time since 2023, while the US dollar continued to head for its worst monthly performance since August. Several major equity markets — including Germany, Japan, and South Korea — are set to close for the year on Tuesday. Investors are also awaiting the release of minutes from the Fed’s December meeting, where officials delivered a third straight rate cut and maintained projections for just one cut in 2026. Elsewhere, oil prices edged higher as traders balanced geopolitical risks against global surplus concerns, while US Treasuries were little changed, with the 10-year yield near 4.11%.

Docket
14:00 ET
FOMC Meeting Minutes for the December Meeting

Good luck!