FOMC Meeting Approaching, Multiple Markets Face Volatility Tests — A Quick Overview of Financial Events

Federal Reserve Minutes in Focus, Dollar Direction Awaiting Revelation

At 3:00 AM tonight, the Federal Reserve will release the minutes of the December FOMC meeting, which could become the key support for today’s market volatility. The market generally expects the minutes to show that Fed officials have “deep disagreements” over the short-term policy path. If the wording leans hawkish, the rate cut expectations will be severely undermined, thereby strongly supporting the US dollar index; conversely, if a dovish tone emerges, the dollar may come under pressure. This policy document interpretation drama is worth close attention.

Commodity Market Reshuffle: Precious Metals Stop Falling, Crude Oil Continues to Rise

Yesterday, the precious metals market experienced a rollercoaster—gold plunged over 4%, and silver was hit with a 9% sell-off. Fortunately, a rebound occurred today. As of press time, gold rose 0.94% to $4,373 per ounce, and silver rebounded strongly by 3.44% to $74.61 per ounce. Market analysis suggests that the Chicago Mercantile Exchange raising margin requirements, profit-taking surges, and year-end liquidity exhaustion are the main culprits for this round of sharp decline. From a long-term perspective, gold and silver still have room to extend upward.

Meanwhile, crude oil continued its upward momentum. Geopolitical risks increased (U.S. drone actions against Venezuela, ongoing tensions in Russia-Ukraine), boosting energy demand expectations. As of now, WTI crude oil rose 0.81% to $58.27 per barrel, and Brent crude oil increased 0.72% to $61.69 per barrel.

US Stock Futures Slightly Lead Gains, Tech Stocks Show Divergence

On the eve of the US stock market opening, the three major stock index futures showed moderate gains. Dow futures rose 0.01%, S&P 500 futures increased 0.04%, and Nasdaq 100 futures gained 0.05%. Pre-market popular stocks showed mixed performance—Nvidia dipped 0.03%, while Tesla defied the trend, rising 1.02%. Baidu had the strongest pre-market rally, approaching a 5% increase, driven by positive expectations for its autonomous vehicle expansion into the UK market.

Bitcoin Repeatedly Tests the $90,000 Level, Bulls Poised

In the crypto market, Bitcoin (BTC) recently traded above $93.84K, up 2.74% in 24 hours, demonstrating relatively strong momentum. Prior to this, BTC repeatedly challenged the psychological barrier of $90,000, even breaking through it yesterday. Industry analysts point out that the $90,000 level has become an important reference point for short-term traders, and its gain or loss has a profound impact on market sentiment.

Bitcoin Magazine analysts believe that the current trend remains trapped within an expanding wedge pattern. Multiple rejections of lower lows indicate that the bearish momentum is waning. To regain control, bulls need to effectively break through the resistance at $91,400 and then establish a foothold above the more strategically significant $94,000, thereby legitimizing the next upward wave.