Investing.com - Here are the top five things you need to know in financial markets on Friday, September 29:
1. Dollar on track for best weekly gain in 2017
The dollar was on track Friday to log its best weekly rise against major currencies this year, while also finishing off its first month of gains since February.
Despite some skepticism over the prospects for tax cuts, the greenback was boosted after U.S. President Donald Trump unveiled a plan on Wednesday calling for lower tax rates for businesses and individuals as part of a comprehensive overhaul of the U.S. tax code.
Gains were capped however as the proposal still faces an uphill battle in the U.S. Congress, with the Republican Party divided over it and Democrats hostile.
Still the greenback has risen more than 1% this week and was on track to eke out monthly gains of around 0.4% during September.
At 6:05AM ET (10:05GMT), the U.S. dollar index, which measures the greenback’s strength against a trade-weighted basket of six major currencies, inched up an additional 0.05% to 93.00, just off Thursday's one-month peak of 93.50.
2. Eyes on U.S. spending and inflation
On the U.S. economic calendar, the Commerce Department will release personal income and spending data, along with the core PCE deflator, the Fed’s preferred inflation gauge, at 8:30AM ET (12:30GMT).
Both personal income and spending are expected to have eased in August, inching up just 0.2% and 0.1%, respectively.
The core PCE price index is expected to remain stable at 1.4%.
In any case, the figures will likely begin to show distortions related to Hurricanes Harvey and Irma that could last for a few months.
In other data, investors will digest the Chicago purchasing managers’ index for September along with the revised reading of the University of Michigan’s consumer sentiment index for the same month.
3. Oil on track for 2% weekly gains ahead of U.S. shale production data
Crude oil prices wavered around the unchanged mark on Friday, while the U.S. benchmark’s weekly gains hovered close to 2%.
U.S. crude oil futures slipped 0.02% $51.55 at 6:07AM ET (10:07GMT), while Brent oil was unchanged at $51.56.
Traders have been betting that production cut efforts by major oil producers led by OPEC and Russia will help reduce the global gut and rebalance the market as the outlook for demand improves.
Furthermore, market participants anticipate that renewed demand from U.S. refiners that were resuming operations after shutdowns due to Hurricane Harvey would help support prices.
Threats from Turkey to cut off a pipeline from the Kurdish region of Iraq after a referendum where Kurds voted overwhelmingly in favor of independence have also contributed to bullish sentiment.
Investors will also keep an eye on the latest gauge for U.S. shale production when Baker Hughes releases its most recent weekly rig count data later on Friday.
4. Subdued inflation may hamper ECB tapering plans
Friday’s preliminary data showed that annual inflation in the euro zone remained stable at 1.5% in September, defying forecasts for prices to increase 1.6% and move closer to the European Central Bank’s target of close to, but below, 2%.
The soft inflation data complicates the ECB's widely expected announcement of plans for tapering its asset purchase program at its next policy announcement on October 26.
“Subdued inflation requires a great balancing act from the ECB,” ING economists said after the data release.
“Inflation is likely to be below target for some time,” they explained.
5. Wave of Japanese data bolsters optimism amid political uncertainty
Japan's core inflation accelerated in August, industrial output rose more than expected and demand for labor remained at its strongest in over 40 years in a further sign of solid momentum in the world's third-largest economy.
The flurry of data should bolster optimism about the outlook for growth, though Prime Minister Shinzo Abe's decision to call a snap election has raised some uncertainty over economic policy.
The snap election was announced for October 22, just days before the next Bank of Japan policy announcement on October 31.