👷 All in a day’s work

Plus, everything you need to know for the week ahead | [Finimize]( Hi {NAME}. We’ve revamped your weekly briefing to give you what you need to know for the week ahead and a recap of the past week. Let us know [what you think here](. US Performance Review The US job market has done a ton of heavy lifting, keeping the economy running even as inflation and interest rates spiraled. This week, we get an update on how it’s holding up. [Performance Review] 🔍 The focus this week: The US job market In its battle against a surge of red-hot inflation, the Federal Reserve (the Fed) has unleashed a heavy barrage of interest rate hikes over the past couple of years. You’d usually expect that to bring the economy to its knees, but somehow, America’s growth and its labor market have managed to keep chugging along. This week, we’ll get a fresh look at how well the job scene is doing, with the latest monthly update from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics, due Friday. Economists are predicting that the US economy added around 180,000 new jobs in March, down from February’s surprisingly strong 275,000, and that the unemployment rate held steady at 3.9%. In other words, they’re expecting the labor market to have cooled down a bit, but to have stayed in fairly good shape. But they’ll also be focused on wage gains. Pay didn’t increase as much as expected in February. And since rising paychecks are a key driver of inflation, the combination of labor market data points hinted at a healthy balance of sturdy economic growth and softening price rises. If that trend continues, it’ll be music to the Fed’s ears. After all, an overly hot labor market would risk bolstering wages and encouraging Americans to keep on spending, despite higher borrowing costs and consumer prices. That would, in turn, prevent inflation from cooling down toward the Fed’s 2% target. On the other hand, a steep slump in the number of jobs would mean the central bank is failing on its other key responsibility: keeping employment turned up to the max. So with the labor market in a sweet spot and the Fed’s favorite inflation gauge sitting at 2.8% (not that far from target), the central bank should have the confidence it needs to start lowering interest rates back toward more “neutral” levels. Think of this as the equilibrium level of interest rates that keeps employment, growth, and inflation all in harmony. And the Fed is walking the walk, reaffirming at its latest meeting that it still expects to lower interest rates three times this year while penciling in a similar number of cuts for 2025. Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong. [Take 2 mins to learn more](. Become more confident with crypto [Crypto investments]( are a tough trigger to pull for investors. We’re talking histories of volatility, an unfathomable number of coins to choose from, expensive entry points, and enough acronyms to spin your head. That’s why [Archax]( – the UK’s first FCA-registered crypto exchange – has tailored its investment platform to help newcomers navigate the often complex landscape of [digital assets](. You’ll find [expert, cutting-edge insights]( that can break down what’s happening in crypto markets, helping you learn as you trade and stay one step ahead with your strategy. That means you can [confidently buy, sell, and explore the potential of digital assets like bitcoin and ether](, with the support of Archax’s tailor-made resources behind you. [Find Out More]( Don’t invest unless you’re prepared to lose all the money you invest. This is a high-risk investment and you should not expect to be protected if something goes wrong. [Take 2 mins to learn more](. 📅 On the calendar - Monday: Markets closed in Europe and the UK for the Easter Monday holiday. China manufacturing PMI (March), US manufacturing PMI (March). - Tuesday: US job openings and labor turnover survey (February), UK mortgage approvals and lending (February). - Wednesday: China services PMI (March), US services PMI (March), eurozone inflation (March), eurozone unemployment rate (February), OPEC meeting. - Thursday: Minutes of the European Central Bank’s latest meeting, eurozone producer price index (February), US trade balance (February). - Friday: Japan household spending (February), UK house price index (March), eurozone retail sales (February), US labor market report (March). 👀 What you might’ve missed last week Global - Cocoa prices hit a new record high. - Short sellers bet billions against crypto-related stocks. Europe - The European Commission launched probes into Apple, Alphabet, and Meta. Asia - The yen fell to its weakest level against the US dollar since 1990. 🤔 Why it matters Cocoa futures prices soared above $10,000 a metric ton for the first time ever last week, making the humble beans more expensive than copper – the bellwether of industrial metals. The latest surge is likely down to the [news]( that bad weather and disease have ravaged crops in Ghana, leaving the world’s second-biggest cocoa producer without enough beans to secure the funding farmers need for the next harvest. Short sellers placed billions of dollars in bets that the rally in crypto-related stocks will eventually end. Total short interest, or the amount that contrarian traders have bet against crypto stocks, has increased to nearly $11 billion this year and is predominantly concentrated on two companies: MicroStrategy and Coinbase. Short interest in MicroStrategy, which owns 214,246 bitcoins valued at around $15 billion, now sits at more than 20% of its total shares outstanding, making it one of the most-shorted stocks on Wall Street. The European Commission is making its first use of a landmark new law designed to rein in Big Tech’s market power. The bloc’s executive arm launched official probes last week into whether Apple and Alphabet were unduly favoring their own app stores, as well as Meta’s use of personal data for advertising. Under the new law, the companies could face hefty fines of up to 10% of their global revenue. US regulators are also tangling with Apple, [accusing]( it of violating antitrust laws by blocking rivals on its popular devices. Japan may have finally scrapped its negative interest rates, but its new levels still look squat compared to US yields – and that’s making the Japanese currency less attractive to savers and investors. So the yen [slumped]( last week to its lowest level against the US dollar in over three decades, prompting investor speculation that the Bank of Japan might intervene in the currency market, selling stacks of its own greenbacks and buying the yen, just to give it a leg up. [Finimize]( Connect your brand with the next generation of investors Our one-million-strong international [financial community]( has some big plans. [Your brand could help them]( do just that: whether you provide information, tools, or tricks, you could help retail investors around the world make smarter decisions. So showcase your mojo in this very spot, and introduce yourself to over a million engaged investors – you might even help us change the world of finance for the better. [Get in touch today.]( [Get Your Name Out There]( SPONSORED BY HEALTHWORDS.AI [HEALTHWORDS.AI]( ⏸ Want to turn off the Weekly Review? 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