Economic development is cyclical – a boom is always followed by a downturn. Such a downturn is called a recession, a phenomenon that recurs with varying frequency and depth. Sometimes recessions occur with little or no serious economic disturbance, but other times they can lead to crises of varying magnitude. So what is a recession, what are its characteristics, and is the world economy in a recession now?  

When analyzing price movements on the chart before placing orders, traders can be hindered by minor price fluctuations - market noise. It is difficult for them to see significant trends, and it is easy to make a false forecast. There are numerous indicators designed for outlining the cycles and waves on a chart, and Zig Zag is one of them. It allows you to cut off the price noise and more accurately identify the key trend, significant price changes, reversals, and other important trend changes.

The Federal Reserve System (Fed) is the most important monetary oversight organization in the United States. However, its influence is much wider, it has a strong impact on global economic growth, the value of funds, and therefore all resources and goods. Let's look at the work of this regulator, and talk about its functions and tasks.

Key events:   Eurozone – ECB's Supervisory Board Member Jochnick Speaks      Eurozone – ECB's De Guindos Speaks     The dollar weakened against all of the Big Ten currencies except the Swiss franc on Thursday. It showed a three-day decline and closed at its lowest level since August 12.  DXY held positions at 105.80 during yesterday's trading session, consolidating after aggressive selling the day before, which resulted in the asset having to retreat to local lows again.

Investors rely on a variety of tools in an attempt to determine the current and future state of the market. This set includes synthetic ones, such as stock indices, which allow evaluating the situation as a whole, without losing time analyzing a multitude of individual assets. Among the many indices used in the stock market, the dollar index stands out. What is it and how to use it in investments?

Financial markets as well as the economy of any country in general are not static. It experiences periods of growth and decline, which together make up economic cycles. Such fluctuations influence the global trends of various financial instruments. However, periods of growth and decline do not last the same length, so to determine the current stage of the cycle or the forthcoming trend of its change, it is necessary to be able to use various economic indicators.

The debate between technical and fundamental analysis supporters has been going on for many years, and so far, there are no winners or losers. Most traders prefer technical analysis because it is not that time-consuming and allows traders to monitor several currency instruments simultaneously. In contrast, fundamental analysis traders tend to specialize in one currency pair because they have a huge amount of data to study. Technical analysis is suited for forex trading since the rates in the foreign exchange market change according to the trends.

Each trader wants to know which way the price will go. However, to get the closest to an answer to this question, it is necessary not only to watch the chart on the trading platform but also constantly keep track of what is happening in the world. A key referendum, presidential comments, or release of negative statistics about the country can dramatically affect the national currency rate. You must have heard such phrases: "The dollar fell on the news... The euro jumped against the franc because of the news...".

In recent years, buyback programs have become one of the growth drivers of U.S. stock markets, creating demand and reducing supply. Corporations have proved to be quite prominent buyers on stock exchanges, and the number of shares outstanding has declined. The year 2021 was no exception. Thanks to the growth of buyback programs, U.S. stock markets were able to reach record highs. Since the beginning of last year, the S&P 500 rose 25% and broke its records 67 times.

The year 2022 was rich in major shocks and bankruptcies of cryptocurrency projects - after each such event, all assets fall in price simultaneously. The current crisis was no exception: the transformation of FTX, the fourth-largest cryptocurrency exchange by turnover, into a full-fledged bankruptcy in a few days was a shock to investors.