
Yen at 163 and FOMC Minutes: What Wednesday Decides
FOMC Minutes drop Wednesday as September Fed hike odds hit 63%. What the July 28-29 dissent tone means for USD/JPY and Japan's currency defense.
Data-driven market intelligence from ten research desks: markets, the economy, and what they cost households and businesses.

FOMC Minutes drop Wednesday as September Fed hike odds hit 63%. What the July 28-29 dissent tone means for USD/JPY and Japan's currency defense.

The Fed's July minutes, four retailer earnings, and gold near key technical levels headline a data-light but decision-heavy week for markets.

Federal Reserve data show equipment investment climbing 31.6% year over year as Super Micro and Lumentum rally on capex-driven guidance beats, while Meta's stock fell 10% on capex growth that outpaced revenue.

July retail sales fell 0.6% to $763.6 billion and the control group missed consensus, the sharpest monthly slowdown in a year even as year-over-year spending held at 5.0%.

July CPI rose 3.30% y/y, below the 3.4% consensus. SPY and QQQ gained as Fed hike odds for September eased; GLD slipped on a firmer dollar.

Gold, silver, oil and copper all eased Friday as the dollar held near a one-week high, giving back part of Wednesday's CPI-driven rally.

July PPI missed consensus on every measure: headline cooled to 4.69% y/y against a 5.0% forecast, core eased to 4.16% against 4.7%, extending June's downside surprise.

Fed Chair Kevin Warsh's move to end forward guidance has lifted bond-market volatility even as equities shrug it off, with a cooling labor market and AI-capex warnings stacking up underneath a complacent tape.

July CPI rose 0.1% m/m and held at 3.4% y/y, matching consensus, while core CPI eased to 2.5% annually, the lowest since early 2026.

The Fed held rates at 3.50%-3.75% on a 9-3 vote, with three hawkish dissents. Core PCE and CPI remain well above target as gold and silver hit records.

July CPI consensus expects 0.1% m/m and 3.4% y/y headline, 0.2% core, versus June's 0.4% drop. Here is how rates, the dollar, and gold would react.

Insider selling hit $77.6 billion in H1 2026 against $6.9 billion in buying, an 11-to-1 ratio, even as M2 growth and a Fed on hold keep liquidity abundant.