{"id":22988,"date":"2025-04-21T09:42:30","date_gmt":"2025-04-21T09:42:30","guid":{"rendered":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/?p=17720"},"modified":"2025-04-21T09:42:30","modified_gmt":"2025-04-21T09:42:30","slug":"week-ahead-markets-eye-central-bank-signals","status":"publish","type":"post","link":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/de-eu\/week_ahead\/week-ahead-markets-eye-central-bank-signals\/","title":{"rendered":"Week ahead: Markets eye central bank signals"},"content":{"rendered":"\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img loading=\"lazy\" decoding=\"async\" width=\"1024\" height=\"536\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/de-eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2026\/04\/54-3-1024x536.png\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17726\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>The upcoming week is poised to be pivotal for global financial markets as investors navigate a landscape marked by heightened volatility stemming from recent US tariff implementations.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Key corporate earnings reports, economic indicators, and central bank communications will be in focus as market participants assess the broader economic implications of escalating trade tensions.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\"><strong>KEY INDICATORS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Central bank communications<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><sub>Market participants will closely monitor remarks from Federal Reserve officials for any indications on future monetary policy.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>The release of the Federal Reserve&#8217;s Beige Book on Wednesday will provide a regional economic overview ahead of the upcoming policy meeting.<\/sub><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Wednesday, 23 April<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><sub><strong>US new home sales (March):<\/strong> Providing insights into the housing market\u2019s response to current economic conditions.<\/sub><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Thursday, 24 April<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><sub><strong>US existing home sales (March):<\/strong> Further data on housing market trends.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub><strong>Weekly jobless claims:<\/strong> Offering a snapshot of the labour market\u2019s resilience.<\/sub><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Friday, 25 April<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><sub><strong>US durable goods orders (March):<\/strong> Indicating business investment trends.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub><strong>University of Michigan consumer sentiment index (April final):<\/strong> Assessing consumer confidence amid economic uncertainties.<\/sub><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Economic events for the coming week include a slew of major companies set to report earnings, providing insights into how businesses are coping with the current economic climate.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n<div class=\"wp-block-image\">\n<figure class=\"aligncenter size-full\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/de-eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2026\/04\/20250421-112855.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17721\" \/><\/figure><\/div>\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\"><strong>MARKET MOVERS<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>European stocks pare losses following European Central Bank interest rate cut<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>European stock markets pared losses to close nearly flat on Thursday following the European Central Bank\u2019s decision to cut interest rates.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><sub>The pan-European Stoxx 600 index provisionally closed 0.1% lower.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>Regionally, the UK\u2019s FTSE 100 was little changed for the session.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>Germany\u2019s DAX and France\u2019s CAC 40 fell by 0.5%.<\/sub><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p>As widely expected, the European Central Bank trimmed interest rates for the third time this year by 25 basis points amid concerns over the eurozone\u2019s economic growth outlook in a time of uncertainty over global trade and tariffs.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>ECB cuts interest rates by 25 basis points<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><sub>The ECB on Thursday cut interest rates by 25 basis points, as was widely expected ahead of the decision.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>Markets had priced in around a 94% chance of such a cut, and around a 6% chance of a larger, 50 basis point reduction.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>This takes the central bank\u2019s deposit facility rate, its key rate, to 2.25% \u2014 down from highs of 4% in mid-2023.<\/sub><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>EUR\/USD<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/de-eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2026\/04\/20250421-112908-1024x630.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17722\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Preferred long preference<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Long positions above 1.14686 with targets at 1.15719 &amp; 1.16963 in extension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Alternative scenario<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Above 1.12731 look for further upside with 1.11543 &amp; 1.10423 as targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The RSI is above its neutrality area at 50. The MACD is above its signal line and negative. The MACD must break above its zero level to trigger further gains. Moreover, the price is above its 20 and 50 period moving average.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Earnings report news<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>First-quarter earnings season is due to begin during the second full week of April, led by banking giants JPMorgan Chase (JPM) and Wells Fargo (WFC).<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Analysts at US financial data group FactSet estimate a year-on-year earnings growth rate of 7.3% for the S&amp;P 500 companies, which would mark the seventh consecutive quarter of earnings growth reported by the index.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Companies are beating Q1 earnings estimates so far. Some big results are up next<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><sub>The first-quarter earnings season is off to a softish start by some measures, according to new research, but another quarter of year-on-year growth still looks likely.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>Based on preliminary results\u2014just 12% of S&amp;P 500 companies have reported so far, according to analysis released late Thursday by FactSet\u201470% of reporting companies in the benchmark index have come in above Street estimates.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>Earnings have come in 6.1% above estimates, also below the five- and ten-year averages.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>The S&amp;P 500&#8217;s first-quarter results are still projected to grow for a seventh consecutive quarter.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>A combination of reported results and estimates for those yet to report indicates growth of 7.2% so far.<\/sub><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Key:<\/strong> <strong>PMO<\/strong> = Pre-market open | <strong>AMC<\/strong> = After market close | <strong>E<\/strong> = Estimated<\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/de-eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2026\/04\/20250421-112917-1024x633.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17723\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>XAU\/USD<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<figure class=\"wp-block-image size-large\"><img decoding=\"async\" src=\"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/de-eu\/wp-content\/uploads\/sites\/17\/2026\/04\/20250421-112925-1024x652.jpg\" alt=\"\" class=\"wp-image-17724\" \/><\/figure>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Potential short preference<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Short positions below 3335.79 with targets at 3325.56 &amp; 3311.12 in extension.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Alternative scenario<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Above 3356.26 look for further upside with 3368.29 &amp; 3380.33 as targets.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>The index currently faces a challenging resistance.<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Gold starts coming back to Switzerland from US after exclusion from Trump\u2019s tariffs<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><sub>Gold, which traders had been flying to New York since December as a precaution against the possibility of broad US tariffs hitting bullion imports, is being shipped back to Switzerland, where it originated, official data shows.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>Swiss customs data on Thursday showed that the country\u2019s gold imports from the US rose to a thirteen-month high of 25.5 metric tonnes in March, from 12.1 tonnes in February.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>Gold exports from Switzerland to the US fell 32% month-on-month to 103.2 tonnes.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>Gold, silver, and platinum worth more than USD 80 billion were delivered to Comex warehouses in the December\u2013March period, keeping logistics firms and Swiss refineries busier than usual.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>Part of what is currently being delivered out of the US gold vaults is returning to Switzerland, the world\u2019s biggest bullion refining and transit hub, said a source at a Swiss refinery.<\/sub><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<h2 class=\"wp-block-heading has-medium-font-size\"><strong>NEWS HEADLINES<\/strong><\/h2>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Oil prices slip 1% after progress in US-Iran talks<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><sub>Oil prices fell more than 1% at Monday\u2019s open in Asia after nuclear talks between the United States and Iran progressed, easing supply concerns.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>Brent crude futures slipped 78 cents, or 1.15%, to USD 67.18 a barrel at 10:12 PM GMT.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>US West Texas Intermediate crude was at USD 63.91 a barrel, down 77 cents, or 1.19%.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>The two countries agreed on Saturday to begin drafting a framework for a potential nuclear deal, Iran\u2019s foreign minister said, after talks that a US official described as yielding &#8220;very good progress.&#8221;<\/sub><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Japan seeks \u2018fairness\u2019 in currency talks with US, Prime Minister Ishiba says<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><sub>Japan will emphasise &#8220;fairness&#8221; in any discussions with the US on exchange rates, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba said on Sunday, as bilateral trade talks gain global attention during President Donald Trump\u2019s tariff offensive.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>Trump has imposed 24% tariffs on Japanese exports to the US, although, like most of Trump\u2019s levies, they have been paused until early July.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>A 10% universal rate remains in place, as does a 25% duty on cars, a mainstay of Japan\u2019s export-reliant economy.<\/sub><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><strong>Stock futures fall after Wall Street posts another losing week<\/strong><\/p>\n\n\n\n<ul class=\"wp-block-list\">\n<li><sub>Stock futures fell on Sunday evening following yet another negative trading week for Wall Street.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>S&amp;P 500 futures declined by 0.5%.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>Nasdaq-100 futures dropped 0.5%.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>Futures tied to the Dow Jones Industrial Average tumbled 214 points, or 0.5%.<\/sub><\/li>\n\n\n\n<li><sub>These moves come after each of the three major averages logged a third weekly decline in the last four trading weeks.<\/sub><\/li>\n<\/ul>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n\n\n\n<p>Click <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.net\/trade-now\/?utm_campaign=account_c&amp;utm_source=dma&amp;utm_medium=website\" target=\"_blank\" rel=\"noopener\" title=\"here\">here<\/a> to open account and start trading.<\/p>\n\n\n\n<p><\/p>\n","protected":false},"excerpt":{"rendered":"<p>The upcoming week is poised to be pivotal for global financial markets as investors navigate a landscape marked by heightened volatility stemming from recent US tariff implementations. Key corporate earnings reports, economic indicators, and central bank communications will be in focus as market participants assess the broader economic implications of escalating trade tensions. KEY INDICATORS <a href=\"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/de-eu\/week_ahead\/week-ahead-markets-eye-central-bank-signals\/\" class=\"read-more\">Continue Reading<\/a><\/p>\n","protected":false},"author":102,"featured_media":17726,"comment_status":"open","ping_status":"open","sticky":false,"template":"","format":"standard","meta":{"_acf_changed":false,"footnotes":""},"categories":[29],"tags":[],"class_list":["post-22988","post","type-post","status-publish","format-standard","has-post-thumbnail","hentry","category-week_ahead"],"acf":{"acf_article_selection_author":null},"aioseo_notices":[],"_links":{"self":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/de-eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22988","targetHints":{"allow":["GET"]}}],"collection":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/de-eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts"}],"about":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/de-eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/types\/post"}],"author":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/de-eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/users\/102"}],"replies":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/de-eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/comments?post=22988"}],"version-history":[{"count":0,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/de-eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/posts\/22988\/revisions"}],"wp:featuredmedia":[{"embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/de-eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media\/17726"}],"wp:attachment":[{"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/de-eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/media?parent=22988"}],"wp:term":[{"taxonomy":"category","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/de-eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/categories?post=22988"},{"taxonomy":"post_tag","embeddable":true,"href":"https:\/\/www.vtmarkets.com\/de-eu\/wp-json\/wp\/v2\/tags?post=22988"}],"curies":[{"name":"wp","href":"https:\/\/api.w.org\/{rel}","templated":true}]}}