investingLive Americas FX news wrap 6 Nov:Challenger layoffs surge Inflation is Fedconcern | investingLive

Stocks took it on the chin for the 2nd time this week.

Recall that on Tuesday, the S&P index fell by -1.17%, rebounded by 0.37% on Tuesday, but declined by another -1.02% today.

For the tech heavy NASDAQ index, it fell by 2.04% on Tuesday rebounded by 0.65% yesterday but fell another -1.76% today.

Some big losers today included Palantir which is now down -15.51% since announcing earnings earlier this week. Meta fell another -2.67% and is now down -17.78% since it’s earnings last week. Nvidia fellows 3.65% and is down -11% from Monday’s high. AMD shares fell -7.27% today.

Things could have been worse.

U.S. employers announced 153,074 job cuts in October, marking a sharp rise from a year earlier and bringing total layoffs for 2025 to more than one million. The surge was driven largely by cost-cutting measures, automation initiatives tied to artificial intelligence, and a slowdown in demand across several sectors. Companies are continuing to adjust payrolls to preserve margins amid higher financing costs and economic uncertainty. The report reflects growing caution in the labor market, with layoff levels approaching those typically seen in the early stages of economic downturns.

Fed commentary – apart from the Fed dove Miran – was more worrisome on inflation.

First for the dove Miran:

• Fed’s Miran, viewed as one of the more dovish policymakers, said she expects a rate cut in December and favors moving toward a neutral policy stance in 50-basis-point increments, while noting that many of her colleagues prefer smaller, 25-basis-point steps. She added that the Fed doesn’t need to deliver a larger 75-basis-point cut or rush to make up for lost ground, emphasizing a steady, measured pace of easing. Miran described the labor market deterioration as gradual, not accelerating, suggesting there is still room to lower rates without immediate risk to employment.

The other Fed officials were not has dovish:

• Fed’s Hammack said monetary policy should remain modestly restrictive, noting that inflation is likely to stay about one percentage point above target and could take two to three years to return to 2%. She called this a challenging time for policy, emphasizing that inflation risks outweigh labor-market concerns and that it’s not obvious the Fed should cut again. Hammack described the economy as robust and healthy, with strength driven by higher-income consumers, but warned of a bifurcated economy and structural forces like the AI boom that complicate policy decisions. Her overall tone was cautious and hawkish, signaling little urgency to ease.
• Fed’s Barr said that while progress has been made on inflation, there is still work to do to bring it fully back to target. She described a two-speed economy, with wealthier households thriving while many others struggle to save and remain more vulnerable to economic shocks. Barr noted a big gap between the upper 40% of earners and everyone else, highlighting growing inequality in economic outcomes. She said the Fed must remain attentive to keeping the job market solid, and suggested that the current low-hiring, low-firing environment may partly reflect the early effects of AI adoption in certain sectors. Her remarks conveyed a balanced but cautious tone, emphasizing both inflation vigilance and inclusive labor-market strength.
• Fed’s Williams said the natural rate of interest is difficult to pin down, with model estimates placing the neutral rate near 1%, and emphasized the importance of staying aware of the effective lower bound when setting policy. He reaffirmed the Fed’s commitment to fighting inflation, saying it’s vital to bring inflation back to 2% as soon as possible, calling that target a well-balanced compromise that supports stability and public confidence. He also pointed to the AI investment boom as a factor influencing global demand for capital and as the next major driver of productivity growth, though it could create labor-market challenges along the way. Overall, his remarks were measured but focused on inflation control and policy discipline, showing a slightly hawkish bias.
• Fed’s Goolsbee said he is reluctant to continue the rate-cutting cycle, citing uncertainty around inflation data and a labor market that remains largely stable. He noted that most indicators show only mild cooling, with unemployment little changed and current conditions reflecting uncertainty rather than recession. Goolsbee highlighted that consumer spending and growth remain strong but cautioned against easing further while services inflation is still rising and inflation data remain limited. He described himself as not hawkish but cautious, emphasizing a measured, data-driven approach, saying, “when it’s foggy, let’s be careful and slow down,” and adding that while the eventual neutral rate will likely be below current levels, now is not the time to accelerate cuts.

At the start of the NA, the Bank of England held its Bank Rate at 4.00% in a tight 5–4 vote, with Breeden, Ramsden, Dhingra, and Taylor favoring a 25 bps rate cut. The Committee noted that CPI inflation has peaked and that underlying disinflation is progressing, supported by a still restrictive policy stance. However, the balance of risks has shifted, with less concern about persistent inflation and greater attention to weaker demand pressures. The BOE said that as rates begin to fall, the degree of restrictiveness will lessen, and any further reductions will depend on how inflation evolves. Most members acknowledged that domestic inflationary pressures may be easing faster than expected, though Greene, Lombardelli, Mann, and Pill argued for maintaining tight policy due to risks of inflation persistence. Governor Bailey described the outlook as more balanced but preferred to wait for further evidence before cutting. The dissenters viewed policy as overly restrictive and warned that elevated household savings could curb consumption. With the vote finely split and Bailey pivotal, the groundwork for a December cut is in place, though the autumn budget could heavily influence the BOE’s next move. Despite the more dovish stance, the GBP rose by 0.67% vs the greenback.

Overall, the dollar was mixed with the greenback falling vs the EUR (-0.47%), JPY (-0.67%), GBP (-0.65%) and the CHF (-0.51%), but rising vs the commodity currencies with risk off sentiment. The USD was higher vs the CAD (0.07%), the AUD (0.40%) and the NZD (0.51%).

IN the US debt market, yields fell with the 10 year falling by 7 bps to 4.087%. The 2 year fell by -7.3 basis points to 3.559% and the 30 year fell by -5.7 basis points to 4.679%.

The US government shutdown continues with the airports Transportation Secretary Sean Duffy saying that traffic at 40 major airports would be reduced by as much as 10% as a safety measure. Air-traffic controllers and airport security agents aren’t being paid in the shutdown, which federal officials said has led to stretched staffing, flight delays and long security lines. IN Houston there were reports of TSA lines of 3 hours..