Geopolitics and Markets Review 13/7/2022:

NASA’s new telescope, The James Webb Space Telescope (JWST) has produced some unbelievable images of the universe. It can see billions of light-years away as the power of telescopes is reaching unprecedented levels. It has really made me question so many things, about what’s important, and how small everything is when put in perspective. There is so much to be explored out there, and I’m very excited about what the future of space exploration holds. The images are on the @NASA Twitter page if you are interested in seeing them. One of them captures five galaxies, four of which are interacting and overlapping. I know nothing about any of this but the whole topic is incredibly interesting.

Now, back to the markets and geopolitics of the world rather than the universe! The Reserve Bank of New Zealand announced a 50-basis point rise in interest rates, taking their current rate to 2.5%, the highest of all eight major central banks at the time of writing. The Bank of Canada also announces its interest rate hike this afternoon, with the economic calendar I use forecasting a 75-basis point rise to 2.25%. US inflation is also announced this afternoon. This comes after a supposedly false document detailing 10.2% inflation was released, after which The Bureau of Labor Statistics had to announce the document isn’t true. The forecast is 8.8%, up from 8.6%.