#policy analysis

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Scaling Urban Affordability: Policy Levers and Market Shifts in High-Growth Secondary Cities

As the City of Boise evaluates new interventions to address housing scarcity in 2026, we analyze how mid-sized high-growth markets utilize zoning reform and financial incentives to stabilize housing-to-income ratios.

Ultima Markets Daily Market Insights – March 18, 2026

The market's "wait-and-see mode" officially ends today. With the Federal Reserve about to announce its highly anticipated interest rate decision, global markets are facing one of the most important catalysts for volatility.

The market widely expects the Federal Reserve to keep interest rates unchanged, so investors' focus is entirely on the Summary of Economic Projections (SEP), especially the updated dot plot. Meanwhile, the Bank of Japan (BoJ) will announce its policy decision tomorrow , making the USD/JPY exchange rate move precariously, with the risk of intervention significantly increased.

FOMC Preview: Interpreting the Signals from the Dot Plot

The Federal Reserve is almost certain to keep interest rates at their current restrictive levels today; what could really drive market volatility is future policy guidance.

Last week's inflation data showed significant stickiness, and coupled with the continued rise in oil prices, market expectations for a dovish policy have been greatly diminished. Currently, the interest rate futures market anticipates at most one rate cut throughout 2026, or even no rate cuts at all. Investors hope to confirm through this dot plot whether the Federal Reserve agrees with this macroeconomic expectation of "higher interest rates for a longer period."

2026 Federal Reserve Meeting Interest Rate Probability | Source: CME Group

According to data from the CME FedWatch tool, the market currently expects a rate cut no earlier than the end of 2026, and even does not rule out keeping rates unchanged throughout the year. This hawkish shift is the key driver behind the recent simultaneous rise in the dollar and US Treasury yields.

Impact on the US dollar: Will hawks maintain their stance or doves surprise us?

Ahead of the interest rate decision announcement, the US dollar still possesses a clear structural advantage. If the Federal Reserve formally removes its previous guidance on multiple rate cuts, the overall trend of the US dollar is likely to remain strong.

However, market uncertainty remains. If Federal Reserve Chairman Powell signals a more neutral or even dovish stance, such as suggesting plans for multiple rate cuts in 2026 despite recent inflation increases, the dollar could face rapid and sharp selling pressure.

USDX, H4 chart | Ultima Markets MT5

The US Dollar Index (USDX) is currently consolidating below the key psychological resistance level of 100.00 , with bulls continuing to actively defend the short-term support area of 99.30 .

If the dot plot releases a hawkish signal, bulls may retest or even break through the 100.00 level, triggering a strong upward breakout. Conversely, if a dovish surprise occurs, the dollar index may quickly fall back, potentially targeting the 98.50 support area.

Gold Outlook: The Key Battleground of $5,000

The gold market is also highly volatile. Gold prices are currently at a crucial psychological turning point, oscillating between soaring US Treasury yields and persistent stagflation concerns.

XAUUSD, H1 Chart | Ultima Markets MT5

Continuing with yesterday's analysis, gold is testing the key support level of $5,000 . If the Federal Reserve releases hawkish signals and pushes the dollar further stronger, gold prices may break below this level and further test the major support range of $4,880-$4,800 .

However, if Powell unexpectedly releases dovish signals, gold could quickly find buying support. Bulls might launch a short squeeze starting at $5000 , pushing prices back to around $5200 .

In the short term, the 5035-4975 range will be the key level to watch during the day.

Focus on USD/JPY: Increased risk of intervention

While the market's focus is on the Federal Reserve today, the Bank of Japan's interest rate decision tomorrow makes USD/JPY one of the riskiest currency pairs at present.

USD/JPY, Daily Chart | Ultima Markets MT5

The USD/JPY pair continued its upward trend, exerting significant pressure on the key resistance and psychological level of 159-160 , a range also considered a potential area of intervention risk.

If a hawkish stance by the Federal Reserve drives US Treasury yields further up, the USD/JPY exchange rate could continue to rise. However, this also means that market risks will increase simultaneously. As the exchange rate rises, the probability that the Japanese Ministry of Finance (MoF) and the Bank of Japan will intervene directly in the foreign exchange market to support the yen increases significantly.

In the current high-level environment, investors need to be highly cautious when establishing long positions, especially before the Bank of Japan's decision is announced.

Today's focus

at the FOMC interest rate decision and economic projections (02:00 Beijing time) is not whether interest rates will remain unchanged, but rather the policy path signals released by the dot plot. If expectations for rate cuts in 2026 decrease further, it usually means a stronger dollar and pressure on the stock market.

The FOMC press conference (02:30 Beijing time) and Powell's speech will be a key driver of market movements. Investors will focus on his views on the job market and energy-driven inflation, and his tone may determine the direction of the day's closing.

Ahead of the Bank of Japan meeting (late US session): As the impact of the Federal Reserve decision is gradually digested, Asian traders will quickly turn their attention to the Bank of Japan meeting. Yen-related currency pairs may experience increased volatility and decreased liquidity before the daily close.

Author：Ultima Markets Daily Insight Welcome to the Ultima Markets blog! We share daily market analysis on U.S. stocks, indices, forex, and crypto. Subscribe to stay updated, enhance your trading skills, and learn together with us!

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Ultima Markets Daily Market Insights – March 13, 2026

As this week's trading draws to a close, global financial markets are undergoing a profound structural repricing. Amidst a continued strong rise in U.S. Treasury yields and escalating tensions in the Middle East, market expectations for a dovish Federal Reserve are rapidly fading.

Following this week's CPI data meeting expectations and a severe lack of demand at U.S. Treasury auctions, bond yields have surged to critical levels.

With inflation remaining sticky and the US-Iran conflict pushing oil prices to historic highs, the market has largely abandoned its bets on a Federal Reserve rate cut. The expectation of a rate cut in 2026 has been repriced, fundamentally altering the global capital flow landscape, making "risk-free" US Treasury bonds more attractive, and simultaneously reducing stock market liquidity.

Treasury yields surged, and expectations for interest rate cuts quickly faded.

The bond market is sending a clear and strong signal to investors: the era of "higher interest rates for longer" will continue. According to the latest CME FedWatch tool data, the market currently expects at most one rate cut throughout 2026, or even no rate cuts at all.

2026 Fed Interest Rate Probability | Source: CME FedWatch

This clear shift in hawkish expectations, coupled with continued rising geopolitical safe-haven demand, has further boosted the dollar's strength. Meanwhile, as market focus gradually shifts to the PCE data —the Fed's most closely watched inflation indicator —US stocks face a severe "double risk" challenge.

US Dollar: Benefiting from safe-haven demand and rising yields

The dramatic volatility in the bond market this week made the US dollar the biggest beneficiary. After Wednesday's CPI data met expectations, the "stagflation panic" eased temporarily, allowing the dollar to continue to strengthen, driven by widening yield spreads and its status as a global safe-haven currency.

However, the dollar's strength still faces a key test – the upcoming Personal Consumption Expenditures (PCE) price index . As the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation indicator, this data will directly determine the future direction of the macroeconomic narrative.

PCE Risk Scenarios

If PCE data is higher than expected, concerns about "stagflation" will quickly return to the market.

rising inflation and a contracting labor market (last week's non-farm payrolls decreased by 92,000) would severely damage economic confidence. In this scenario, the safe-haven advantage of the US dollar could be challenged, and could even trigger a sharp fluctuation in capital flows into gold.

USDX, H4 Chart | Ultima Markets MT5

The US Dollar Index (USDX) has regained its strong structure, driven by soaring Treasury yields, and is now approaching the key resistance zone of 99.30 – 99.60 .

As long as yields remain high and expectations for rate cuts continue to cool, the US dollar is expected to hold the key support level of 98.80 . A decisive break above 99.30 on the daily chart would confirm a structural upward breakout and could potentially lead to a further move towards the psychological level of 100 .

However, if the PCE data raises concerns about stagflation again, the US dollar may come under pressure due to shattered market confidence in the US economy, and 98.80 will become a crucial support level that bulls must defend.

US stocks: Caught in a "double risk" dilemma

While the dollar benefits from a high-yield environment, Wall Street faces significant pressure. The US stock market is currently in an extremely challenging "double-risk" environment:

Yield shock : A sharp rise in government bond yields means significantly higher financing costs, which puts pressure on corporate valuations, while market liquidity flows out of high-beta technology stocks.

Stagnation Threat : If PCE data confirms rising inflation and a weakening job market, corporate profits will face a double squeeze—rising costs + declining demand.

If the PCE data is strong, the US stock market may face direct and significant downward pressure, as the Federal Reserve will find it difficult to stabilize the market through interest rate cuts.

SP500, Daily Chart | Ultima Markets MT5

The S&P 500 index is currently showing overall weakness, clearly pressured by rising financing costs. The index is fluctuating around the key support zone of 6700-6680 .

With the "double risk" logic dominating the market, any rebound towards the 6770 resistance level is expected to be met with active selling by institutional funds.

If the index breaks below the current support level, it may experience a rapid deleveraging decline, with a target of 6500 .

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Ultima Markets Daily Market Insights – March 16, 2026

Global markets are approaching one of the most influential key trading weeks of the quarter. While geopolitical tensions in the Middle East continue to escalate, market focus is rapidly shifting to the upcoming wave of interest rate decisions from several major central banks.

With the market having almost fully priced in the weakening expectations of a US interest rate cut in 2026, the macroeconomic landscape has fundamentally shifted. The US dollar continues to dominate the global foreign exchange market, while US stocks are clearly under pressure from rising bond yields.

Weekend Geopolitics: Oil prices consolidate at high levels, awaiting the next shock.

The energy market was relatively calm overall over the weekend, but oil prices remained high. Iranian Foreign Minister Araqchi recently stated that the Strait of Hormuz is only closed to “tankers and ships of hostile countries and their allies,” a statement that temporarily eased market concerns about further escalation of the situation, giving the market a brief respite.

However, from a structural perspective, the risks have not subsided. The “war premium” has only temporarily stopped expanding, not truly disappeared. Oil prices are entering a period of high-level consolidation, exerting sustained inflationary pressure on the global economy and ensuring that the “stagflation” narrative remains dominant ahead of this week’s central bank meetings.

USOUSD, H4 Chart | Ultima Markets MT5

Brent crude oil opened relatively flat on Monday, holding steady near the key $100 level as the market digested last week’s sharp fluctuations. As long as prices remain above this support level, the overall trend remains clearly bullish.

Unless oil prices fall below the key support level of $93, any pullback in the short term can still be seen as an opportunity to “buy on dips”.

The Road to the FOMC: A Strong Dollar and Pressure on Stock Markets

This week, market momentum was driven by the bond market and the dollar’s performance. Last week, after the market realized that the Federal Reserve would only cut interest rates once at most in 2026, or even not at all, US Treasury yields surged, pushing the dollar higher in tandem.

This hawkish reality is creating a clear divergence among different assets. The US dollar continues to attract global capital inflows, supported by widening yield spreads. Conversely, US stocks are mired in the “double risk dilemma” we mentioned last week: rising financing costs and potential inflation stickiness putting pressure on corporate profits.

USDX, Daily Chart | Ultima Markets MT5

The US dollar index (USDX) continues to receive buying support, with its recent rally approaching the key resistance level of 100.00. As the FOMC meeting approaches, traders may buy on dips towards the 98.80 support area, betting that the Federal Reserve will formally confirm its policy path of “higher interest rates for longer.”

However, it’s worth noting that the 100.00 level has consistently acted as significant resistance since May 2025, and will be a key test for the bulls. Ahead of the FOMC decision, the market may remain cautious, and the dollar may enter a consolidation phase in the short term, but the overall trend remains bullish.

US Stock Market Outlook: Downward Pressure Continues to Accumulate

U.S. stocks came under significant selling pressure last week, marking their third consecutive week of decline, indicating that bearish forces are gradually gaining dominance.

S&P 500, Daily Chart | Ultima Markets MT5

Currently, the 6700 level for the S&P 500 has become a significant resistance level. If the Federal Reserve adopts a hawkish stance this week, the market may face further downward pressure.

Although the 200-day moving average (around 6620) provides some short-term support, the overall market outlook remains uncertain ahead of the major central bank events this week.

Today’s focus

Position adjustments ahead of central bank decisions (all day): No sustained major trend breakout is expected in the market today. Institutional investors are likely to focus on position adjustments and risk hedging on Monday in preparation for the upcoming interest rate decisions from the Bank of Japan, the Federal Reserve, and the Bank of England. Major currency pairs are likely to maintain a range-bound trading pattern.

Geopolitical Risks (All Day): Despite a relatively calm weekend, the Middle East remains a key source of market uncertainty. A war premium could quickly return and dominate market movements should news of military escalation or disruptions to global oil supplies emerge.

Author：Ultima Markets Daily Insight Welcome to the Ultima Markets blog! We share daily market analysis on U.S. stocks, indices, forex, and crypto. Subscribe to stay updated, enhance your trading skills, and learn together with us!

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Ultima Markets Daily Market Insights – February 26, 2026

U.S. stocks rose for the second consecutive trading day, led by technology stocks, as investors bet on strong earnings from AI chip giant Nvidia and renewed enthusiasm for AI deals.

The Nasdaq index rose by more than 1% again, marking the first time in two months that it has achieved such a large increase for two consecutive days.

NAS100 1-hour chart

However, this optimism did not translate into positive sentiment in the credit market, with corporate bond spreads remaining high, indicating that bond investors did not fully endorse the current stock market rebound.

This divergence suggests that the market has potential concerns about the health of corporate balance sheets under the dual pressures of high interest rates and massive AI capital expenditures.

A weaker dollar boosted the currency and cryptocurrency markets.

Another notable theme in the macro market was the weakening of the US dollar. This provided a strong tailwind for the offshore yuan, propelling it to rise for the fourth consecutive day and breaking through key levels to reach a new high inApril 2023.

usdcnh 1-hour chart

A weak dollar, coupled with a rebound in market risk appetite, ignited a strong rebound in the cryptocurrency market. Bitcoin prices surged nearly 8%, once again approaching the $70,000 mark, while Ethereum soared 13%, returning above $2,000.

Among the G7 currencies, the Australian dollar stood out, boosted by higher-than-expected inflation data.

Commodity trends diverged, with metals rising while crude oil remained under pressure.

The commodity market is showing mixed trends.

Gold, silver, and platinum, among other precious metals, continued their recent upward trend, supported by a weaker dollar. However, crude oil prices faced downward pressure, with WTI crude futures falling after a report of a significant increase in US crude oil inventories was released.

In addition, a technical glitch at the CME Group caused a brief disruption to trading in some metals and natural gas futures, resulting in the cancellation of all orders for that trading day.

Author：Ultima Markets Daily Insight Welcome to the Ultima Markets blog! We share daily market analysis on U.S. stocks, indices, forex, and crypto. Subscribe to stay updated, enhance your trading skills, and learn together with us!

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