USDU

The dollar is consolidating yesterday's losses.Equities are lower, and benchmark yields are little changed.The S&P 500 is trading a little lower following yesterday's 0.2% decline.Gold rose almost 1% yesterday, the most in a couple of weeks, on the back of the weaker dollar.WTI for December delivery slumped 4% yesterday and slipped below the $40-mark and straddled today.

The dollar is falling against most of the world's currencies today.Sterling and the Norwegian krone are leading the majors higher.The Chinese yuan extended its gains and is now at the best level since July 2018.In Asia, most of the large markets gained, but China, India, and a handful of smaller bourses were sold.Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is off for the third day and the sixth session in the past seven.

In the Asia-Pacific region, Japan, Taiwan, and Australian bourses led declines, while China, Honk Kong, South Korea, and India advanced.Europe's Dow Jones Stoxx 600 is straddling little-changed levels.US shares are recouping part of the losses suffered late yesterday.The euro and the Scandis are leading most of the major currencies higher.Emerging market currencies are narrowly mixed.

China's economy expanded by 2.7% in Q3, a little below the Bloomberg survey median forecast of 3.3%, and Q2 growth was revised to 11.7% from 11.5%.The UK has been struck by a resurging virus, the lack of progress with EU trade talks, and the pre-weekend downgrade by Moody's.In an otherwise light calendar today, six Fed officials speak. These include Chair Powell at an IMF-sponsored discussion of cross-border payments and Vice-Chair Clarida on the economic outlook.Oil prices have recovered from their April lows but have been moving broadly sideways for three-four months.

Global economic growth has underwhelmed versus expectations generally since 2011.Lower than expected growth versus expectations has caused investors to chase growth at almost any price, and duration in their bond investments almost at any price.This crowded investment landscape is about to experience a wholesale change, with global growth outperforming expectations led by China and the United States.

The US dollar rose against nearly all the major currencies last week. The yen was the sole exception.Of the majors, the Australian dollar suffered more than a 2% decline following the strongest signals to date that that Reserve Bank of Australia will do more to support the economy.However, it is still a question of precisely what it will do.

European bond prices have an unmistakable correlation to European COVID infections.The strategy of ensuring the banking system remains well capitalized - while letting market-based finance run wild - may have plausible theoretical underpinnings.The "penalty rate" issue is key to mitigating moral hazard.

Increasing inflation has implications for businesses and workers, but this article will focus on investors.The classic inflation hedges are gold, other commodities, real estate and, some argued, stocks.There are possibilities in all these categories, though investors should not expect any of these to work perfectly.There is no asset that is obviously a slam dunk for an inflation hedge, but gold, mining stocks and farmland should be considered.