Macro Briefing: 31 July 2024

* Hamas leader killed in Iran in alleged Israeli strike, threatening escalation
* Japan raises interest rates as it unwinds long-running easy policy
* Fed expected to leave rates unchanged today
* US consumer confidence remains middling in July vs. recent history
* US home prices reach a new record high: Case-Shiller Home Price Index
* US job openings edge down in June, reaffirming ongoing downtrend:

US 10-year Treasury yield fell on Tues. (Jul. 30) to 4.14%, the lowest in more than four months. The drop arrives ahead of today’s Federal Reserve meeting, which is widely expected to announce that the central bank will leave its target rate unchanged at a 5.25%-5.50% range.