US Dollar:
1. Trump: Doesn't care whether Powell stays at the Fed, will not take action.
2. White House National Economic Council Director Hassett: It would be a policy mistake for the ECB and the Fed to raise interest rates.
3. US Q1 annualized GDP growth rate preliminary estimate was 2%, lower than expected.
4. US March PCE price index annual rate rose to 3.5%, the highest in nearly three years.
Euro:
1. ECB held rates steady for the seventh consecutive meeting; ECB sources: June rate hike is very likely.
2. ECB Governing Council member Mueller: The possibility of an ECB rate hike is increasing.
3. Standard Chartered Bank: Expects the ECB to raise rates by 25 basis points in June, previously predicting no change.
4. ECB Governing Council member Nagel: If the outlook does not improve significantly, it would be more appropriate to take action in June.
Pound Sterling:
1. Bank of England voted 8-1 to keep interest rates unchanged; the statement hinted at a possible rate hike; Governor Bailey held an emergency press conference to "put out the fire."
Japanese Yen:
1. Japan may have conducted a second round of intervention; analysts say fundamentals remain unfavorable for the yen.
2. Mizuho Securities: The yen is likely to remain weak ahead of the Bank of Japan's June meeting (when the market widely expects an interest rate hike).
3. Jun Mimura, Japan's top foreign exchange official: Speculative operations in the foreign exchange market have intensified; decisive measures in the foreign exchange market are drawing ever closer.
