Festivity on hold for stocks as rate hikes beckon

Softening economic data heading to year-end isn’t offering much help to the mood either, leaving markets wondering where to look for the feel-good vibe that has rallied U.S. stocks in the last two weeks of December 11 times in the last 15 years.

Crypto pessimism grows as Bitcoin slips below $17,000

The largest token traded below $16,700 on Sunday after dropping as much as 3.7% on Friday. Earlier in the week, Bitcoin reached its highest price since Sam Bankman-Fried’s crypto empire filed for bankruptcy last month. On Friday, Ether declined as much as 6.3%, while other altcoins like Avalanche and Solana dropped as well.

Jerome Powell puts US pay hikes at heart of Fed’s 2023 inflation fight

The pivotal question for Fed officials is whether the climb in US pay over the past 18 months or so is a one-time bump – as companies adjust to scarce labor supply, and a realization that their workforce was under-compensated – or a pernicious feedback loop in which prices and wages drive each other up.

Planning to buy gold bonds? Add in two tranches

Growing fears of a recession in the US and high domestic inflation necessitate adding gold as a portfolio diversifier. Here financial planners say investors should hold 10% gold in their overall portfolio and buy sovereign gold bonds (SGB) to reach that allocation.