FxWirePro: Daily Commodity Tracker - 21st March, 2022 
Oil, Gold Rise as Geopolitical Risks Grip Markets Ahead of U.S. CPI 
Oil Prices Fall as U.S. Crude Inventories Surge and Hormuz Tensions Persist 
China Automakers Accelerate Global Expansion as Domestic Car Sales Slump 
Asian Currencies Steady as Dollar Holds Firm After U.S. Inflation Data 
Asian Stocks Rise as AI Chip Rally Lifts South Korea, Japan 
Australia Sets New Minimum Pay, Insurance Rules for Gig Workers 
Gold Price Holds Near $4,400 as Hormuz Risks and CPI Drive Markets 
Oil Prices Slide as OPEC, IEA Cut 2026 Demand Forecasts 
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Australian government bonds slumped across the curve on Monday following better-than-expected April retail sales data, pushing the 10-year yield to 1-week high. Also, heavy sell-off in the U.S. Treasuries pressurized the world’s 11th largest economy’s debt market.
The yield on Australia’s benchmark 10-year Note, which moves inversely to its price, rose 4-1/2 basis points to 2.731 percent, the yield on the long-term 30-year Note jumped 2 basis points to 3.240 percent and the yield on short-term 2-year up 5-1/2 basis points to 2.054 percent by 03:00GMT.
According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), sales rose by 0.4 percent to $26.56 billion in seasonally adjusted terms, topping forecasts for an increase of 0.3 percent. The result was an improvement on March when retail sales were flat.
In the United States, Treasuries found downward pressure to finish off the week, amidst a much calmer Friday session as markets absorbed the better than expected May employment report and further digested news of political stability returning to Italy. With respect to data, markets were clearly receptive to the 223K increase in non-farm payrolls, alongside a decrease in the headline unemployment rate to 3.8 percent, lowest since April 2000.
With respect to inflation, hawks were once again handed more ammunition with average hourly earnings increasing +0.3 percent, pointing to resumed wage pressures currently making their way through the labour market. Markets now look ahead to a lighter flow of data in the week ahead, largely highlighted by April trade balance data on Thursday.
Meanwhile, the S&P/ASX 200 index traded 0.07 percent higher at 6,033.5 by 03:15 GMT, while at 03:00GMT, the FxWirePro's Hourly AUD Strength Index remained neutral at 12.62 (a reading above +75 indicates a bullish trend, while that below -75 a bearish trend). For more details, visit http://www.fxwirepro.com/currencyindex
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