US financial services giant, JP Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM), reported the latest financial results for Q4 2023 before the market open in the US on Friday. JP Morgan reported revenue of $38.574 billion for the quarter, falling short of Wall Street estimate of $39.73 billion. Revenue was up by 11.65% year-over-year.
Earnings per share (EPS) reached $3.04 per share for Q4 (down by 14.84% vs. Q4 2022), also below analyst estimate of $3.349 per share. Company overview Founded: 2000 Headquarters: New York City, United States Number of employees: 308,669 (2023) Industry: Financial services Key people: Jamie Dimon (Chairman & CEO), Daniel E.
Pinto (President & COO) CEO commentary "We ended the year with a solid quarter, producing net income of $9.3 billion, or $12.1 billion excluding the FDIC special assessment and discretionary securities losses. Our record results in 2023 reflect over-earning on both NII and credit, but we remain confident in our ability to continue to deliver very healthy returns even after they normalize. Our balance sheet remained extremely strong, with a CET1 ratio of 15.0%, a staggering $514 billion of total loss-absorbing capacity and $1.4 trillion in cash and marketable securities.
We continue to believe that the recent series of regulatory and legislative proposals, including Basel III endgame, could cause serious harm to consumers, businesses, and markets. We hope that regulators will make the necessary adjustments so the rules promote a strong financial system without causing undue consequences for end users," CEO of JP Morgan, Jamie Dimon commented on the latest results. Dimon also made comments on the state of the US economy and global challenges: "The U.S. economy continues to be resilient, with consumers still spending, and markets currently expect a soft landing.
It is important to note that the economy is being fueled by large amounts of government deficit spending and past stimulus. There is also an ongoing need for increased spending due to the green economy, the restructuring of global supply chains, higher military spending and rising healthcare costs. This may lead inflation to be stickier and rates to be higher than markets expect.
On top of this, there are a number of downside risks to watch. Quantitative tightening is draining over $900 billion of liquidity from the system annually, and we have never seen a full cycle of tightening. And the ongoing wars in Ukraine and the Middle East have the potential to disrupt energy and food markets, migration, and military and economic relationships, in addition to their dreadful human cost.
These significant and somewhat unprecedented forces cause us to remain cautious. While we hope for the best, the past year demonstrated why we must be prepared for any environment." Stock reaction The stock ended Friday down by 0.73% at $169.05 a share. Stock performance 5 day: -1.87% 1 month: +2.31% 3 months: +14.22% Year-to-date: -0.62% 1 year: +18.21% JP Morgan Chase & Co. stock price targets Deutsche Bank: $190 Bank of America: $188 Barclays: $212 Oppenheimer: $243 Morgan Stanley: $191 Piper Sandler: $170 BMO Capital Markets: $171 Jefferies Financial Group: $169 Evercore ISI: $167 Royal Bank of Canada: $158 HSBC: $159 Credit Suisse: $170 JP Morgan Chase & Co. is the 13th largest company in the world with a market cap of $488.72 billion.
You can trade JP Morgan Chase & Co. (NYSE: JPM) and many other stocks from the NYSE, NASDAQ, HKEX and ASX with GO Markets as a Share CFD on the MetaTrader 5 platform. To find out more, go to "Trading" then select "Share CFDs". GO Markets offers pre-market and after-market trading on popular US Share CFDs.
Why trade during extended hours? Volatility never sleeps. Trade over earnings releases as they happen outside of main trading hours Reduce your risk and hedge your existing positions ahead of a new trading day Extended trading hours on popular US stocks means extended opportunities Sources: JP Morgan Chase & Co., TradingView, MarketWatch, MarketBeat, CompaniesMarketCap
By
Klavs Valters
Account Manager, GO Markets London.
The information provided is of general nature only and does not take into account your personal objectives, financial situations or needs. Before acting on any information provided, you should consider whether the information is suitable for you and your personal circumstances and if necessary, seek appropriate professional advice. All opinions, conclusions, forecasts or recommendations are reasonably held at the time of compilation but are subject to change without notice. Past performance is not an indication of future performance. Go Markets Pty Ltd, ABN 85 081 864 039, AFSL 254963 is a CFD issuer, and trading carries significant risks and is not suitable for everyone. You do not own or have any interest in the rights to the underlying assets. You should consider the appropriateness by reviewing our TMD, FSG, PDS and other CFD legal documents to ensure you understand the risks before you invest in CFDs.
Tuesday, 12 May 2026, at roughly 7:30 pm AEST, Treasurer Jim Chalmers will stand up in Canberra and deliver the 2026-27 Federal Budget. According to Budget.gov.au, that is when the Budget is officially released, with the Budget papers going live online at the same time.
But this is not just another Budget night.
The Treasurer is putting together a fiscal plan while rates are moving higher, not lower. That is what makes this one feel different. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) lifted the cash rate to 4.35 per cent on 5 May, its third straight hike this year, in an 8 to 1 vote.
That is the part Australian market participants may not want to overlook.
Market Event
Countdown to the 2026–27 Budget
Treasurer delivers speech Tuesday, 12 May 2026 at 7:30 pm AEST
Initializing...
AEST (+10)
7:30 PM
VIC, NSW, QLD, TAS, ACT
ACST (+9.5)
7:00 PM
SA, NT
AWST (+8)
5:30 PM
WA
LHST (+10.5)
8:00 PM
Lord Howe Island
Budget basics in plain English
The Federal Budget is basically the government’s plan for the year ahead. It sets out how much it expects to spend, tax and borrow, along with its forecasts for growth and inflation.
Markets usually care less about the big speech and more about the details buried in the papers. Think deficits, debt issuance, inflation assumptions, household relief, infrastructure spending and sector-specific surprises.
The Treasurer has already flagged a productivity package and a savings package. The Prime Minister has also shifted the broader message towards ‘national resilience’.
Those phrases may sound political, but they can matter for markets once the numbers are released.
The 2026–27 Budget catalyst watchlist
Sector
Budget Catalyst
Key Tickers / CFDs
What to Monitor
Retail
Cost-of-living rebates, A$300 tax offset
Woolworths (WOW), Wesfarmers (WES)
Spending resilience
Energy
A$10bn Fuel Security package
Santos (STO), Woodside (WDS)
Infrastructure spend
Housing
CGT/negative gearing tweaks
REA Group (REA), CBA, NAB
Loan demand, REIT pricing
Materials
Infrastructure build-out
BHP, Rio Tinto (RIO)
Iron ore assumptions
FX & Rates
Fiscal stance & debt issuance
AUD/USD, AGB 10-year futures
RBA rate pricing
Budget night scenarios
None of these are predictions, rather they are frameworks for thinking about how markets may initially react once the Budget papers are released.
Cost-of-living support
Rebates and targeted relief may give consumer-facing stocks some support. The other side is inflation risk. If markets see the package as too generous, bond yields could move higher.
Infrastructure and resilience
Construction and materials stocks could be sensitive to any new infrastructure commitments. If a fuel-security buildout is confirmed, related sectors may also get some attention.
Tax settings
Possible CGT discount changes or a return to indexation should be checked against the final papers. Markets may also watch for any flow-through to property-exposed stocks and REITs.
Fiscal restraint
A tighter Budget may be read as less inflationary, which could support bonds. Sectors that rely on government spending could face headwinds.
AUD reaction
The Aussie may move around RBA rate pricing after the Budget. That said, global drivers and commodity prices, especially oil and iron ore, can often outweigh local Budget flows.
A short pre-budget checklist
1
Confirm the release time and relevant Budget papers.
2
Note what may already be priced in, including CGT changes and fuel security.
3
Monitor AUD/USD reference levels, including 0.7180 and 0.7250.
4
Watch the 10-year government bond yield as macro confirmation.
5
Review position sizing and stops in the context of event risk.
6
Separate the political headline from the actual market implications.
Where it can go wrong
The Budget rarely writes the whole script. In fact, some measures may already be priced in. Offshore moves can dominate, details may be revised in coming weeks, and the RBA’s June meeting may matter more than any single line item.
Sector winners can still fall if valuations are stretched and the next inflation print may also overwrite the night’s narrative.
Takeaway
For newer Australian market participants, the key point is this: the Budget is a catalyst, not a crystal ball and the job is not to guess every measure. It is to watch how the Budget shifts expectations for rates, inflation, government borrowing, household income and company earnings.
That is the chain that moves prices, often well after the speech is over.
Join us on Wednesday morning for GO's reeaction and what it means for the Aussie dollar, the ASX and your trading.
Market Intelligence
Track the next catalyst
From CPI prints to RBA meetings, stay ahead of the volatility. Map the calendar and track AUD/USD or the ASX 200.
Tuesday, 12 May 2026, at roughly 7:30 pm AEST, Treasurer Jim Chalmers will stand up in Canberra and deliver the 2026-27 Federal Budget. According to Budget.gov.au, that is when the Budget is officially released, with the Budget papers going live online at the same time.
But this is not just another Budget night.
The Treasurer is putting together a fiscal plan while rates are moving higher, not lower. That is what makes this one feel different. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) lifted the cash rate to 4.35 per cent on 5 May, its third straight hike this year, in an 8 to 1 vote.
That is the part Australian market participants may not want to overlook.
Market Event
Countdown to the 2026–27 Budget
Treasurer delivers speech Tuesday, 12 May 2026 at 7:30 pm AEST
Initializing...
AEST (+10)
7:30 PM
VIC, NSW, QLD, TAS, ACT
ACST (+9.5)
7:00 PM
SA, NT
AWST (+8)
5:30 PM
WA
LHST (+10.5)
8:00 PM
Lord Howe Island
Budget basics in plain English
The Federal Budget is basically the government’s plan for the year ahead. It sets out how much it expects to spend, tax and borrow, along with its forecasts for growth and inflation.
Markets usually care less about the big speech and more about the details buried in the papers. Think deficits, debt issuance, inflation assumptions, household relief, infrastructure spending and sector-specific surprises.
The Treasurer has already flagged a productivity package and a savings package. The Prime Minister has also shifted the broader message towards ‘national resilience’.
Those phrases may sound political, but they can matter for markets once the numbers are released.
The 2026–27 Budget catalyst watchlist
Sector
Budget Catalyst
Key Tickers / CFDs
What to Monitor
Retail
Cost-of-living rebates, A$300 tax offset
Woolworths (WOW), Wesfarmers (WES)
Spending resilience
Energy
A$10bn Fuel Security package
Santos (STO), Woodside (WDS)
Infrastructure spend
Housing
CGT/negative gearing tweaks
REA Group (REA), CBA, NAB
Loan demand, REIT pricing
Materials
Infrastructure build-out
BHP, Rio Tinto (RIO)
Iron ore assumptions
FX & Rates
Fiscal stance & debt issuance
AUD/USD, AGB 10-year futures
RBA rate pricing
Budget night scenarios
None of these are predictions, rather they are frameworks for thinking about how markets may initially react once the Budget papers are released.
Cost-of-living support
Rebates and targeted relief may give consumer-facing stocks some support. The other side is inflation risk. If markets see the package as too generous, bond yields could move higher.
Infrastructure and resilience
Construction and materials stocks could be sensitive to any new infrastructure commitments. If a fuel-security buildout is confirmed, related sectors may also get some attention.
Tax settings
Possible CGT discount changes or a return to indexation should be checked against the final papers. Markets may also watch for any flow-through to property-exposed stocks and REITs.
Fiscal restraint
A tighter Budget may be read as less inflationary, which could support bonds. Sectors that rely on government spending could face headwinds.
AUD reaction
The Aussie may move around RBA rate pricing after the Budget. That said, global drivers and commodity prices, especially oil and iron ore, can often outweigh local Budget flows.
A short pre-budget checklist
1
Confirm the release time and relevant Budget papers.
2
Note what may already be priced in, including CGT changes and fuel security.
3
Monitor AUD/USD reference levels, including 0.7180 and 0.7250.
4
Watch the 10-year government bond yield as macro confirmation.
5
Review position sizing and stops in the context of event risk.
6
Separate the political headline from the actual market implications.
Where it can go wrong
The Budget rarely writes the whole script. In fact, some measures may already be priced in. Offshore moves can dominate, details may be revised in coming weeks, and the RBA’s June meeting may matter more than any single line item.
Sector winners can still fall if valuations are stretched and the next inflation print may also overwrite the night’s narrative.
Takeaway
For newer Australian market participants, the key point is this: the Budget is a catalyst, not a crystal ball and the job is not to guess every measure. It is to watch how the Budget shifts expectations for rates, inflation, government borrowing, household income and company earnings.
That is the chain that moves prices, often well after the speech is over.
Join us on Wednesday morning for GO's reeaction and what it means for the Aussie dollar, the ASX and your trading.
Market Intelligence
Track the next catalyst
From CPI prints to RBA meetings, stay ahead of the volatility. Map the calendar and track AUD/USD or the ASX 200.
If you have ever wondered why a forex pair moves sharply on a single Tuesday afternoon, the answer often sits inside one number: the cash rate.
On 5 May 2026, the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) raised its cash rate target by 25 basis points (bps) to 4.35%. The decision unwound much of the easing cycle traders had spent the previous year debating. Markets repriced quickly, and the Australian dollar moved against major peers as traders digested the decision.
When one rate decision changes the market mood
For new traders, decisions like this can feel chaotic.
The chart moves before the headline finishes loading. Spreads widen. Stop levels can be tested in seconds. The financial media then fills with confident takes that often disagree with one another.
This playbook is designed to help you make sense of that chaos. Not by predicting the next move, but by understanding how the cash rate works, how it can ripple through markets, and how to prepare a process before the next decision lands.
Important
This article is general market commentary and education only. It does not constitute personal financial advice. Trading CFDs carries significant risk and may not be suitable for everyone.
Part 01
The 101 explainer
Build a clear, foundational understanding before going anywhere near a setup.
The Basics
What the cash rate is, in plain English
The cash rate is the interest rate that commercial banks charge each other for overnight, unsecured loans. The cash rate target is the level a central bank officially sets to steer that market.
In Australia, the RBA sets the cash rate target to manage inflation and employment. While the names vary, each acts as an anchor for the following equivalents:
United States: Federal Funds Rate
United Kingdom: Bank Rate
Eurozone: Main Refinancing Rate
New Zealand: Official Cash Rate
A simple way to think about it is as the wholesale price of money. When that wholesale price rises, the retail prices linked to it, such as mortgage rates, business loans, savings rates and bond yields, often move higher too. When it falls, borrowing costs across the economy tend to ease.
For traders, this is the macro anchor. It is not just a number on an economic calendar; it influences currencies, indices, commodities, and yield-sensitive stocks.
Where the world's major policy rates sit in May 2026
Headline cash rate equivalents at major central banks, expressed in per cent.
Illustrative
Source. Reserve Bank of Australia, US Federal Reserve, Bank of England, European Central Bank, Bank of Japan and Reserve Bank of New Zealand official statements, figures as at May 2026. Educational illustration.
Why It Matters
Why the cash rate matters more than new traders expect
Central bank decisions are among the most closely watched events on the market calendar. That is because one rate decision can influence several markets at once, from currencies and bond yields to share indices, commodities and the cost of holding leveraged positions overnight.
It affects more than currencies
For CFD traders, this matters for two main reasons. First, leverage can magnify both gains and losses when markets are volatile. Around a central bank decision, price can move quickly, spreads can widen and risk controls become especially important.
It can change holding costs
Second, the swap or holding cost on a CFD position is linked to the underlying cash rate. When rates change, the cost of carrying a position overnight may also change. For example, a pair like AUD/JPY can behave differently when the yield gap between Australia and Japan is wide compared with when it is narrow.
Markets can reprice quickly
New traders often underestimate how fast markets can react. A central bank can shift expectations with one sentence in a statement or press conference.
Markets do not wait for the next quarterly review. They often adjust as soon as the message changes.
Vocabulary
The key terms to know
You do not need to memorise every term in this list. These are the ones that come up most often around cash rate decisions.
Cash rate target
The interest rate level set by a central bank to anchor the economy.
Basis points (bps)
1bp = 0.01%. A 25bps move is a 0.25% change in rates.
Repricing
Markets adjusting expectations instantly after new info.
Hawkish vs Dovish: Hawkish leans toward higher rates (supports currency); Dovish leans toward lower rates (weighs on currency).
Yield Differential: The rate gap between two economies that drives capital flows.
Carry trade
Investing in high-yield via low-yield borrowing.
Risk-on/off
Market mood favouring growth vs safe-havens.
Trimmed Mean
Inflation measure that filters out volatile price swings.
Swap or Rollover:
The overnight interest charge/credit for leveraged positions.
Watch for triple swaps on Wednesdays which account for weekend settlement.
Position Sizing
What a 25 bps move may cost you
Basis points can sound abstract until you connect them to position size. Here is a simplified way to show why a small percentage move can matter for a CFD trader. A standard one-lot position in major FX is 100,000 units of the base currency and a 25 bps shift in the underlying cash rate is 0.25% per year.
The point is not the exact cents. It is that small-sounding percentage changes can compound on leveraged positions held for weeks or months.
Position size
Annual exposure to a 25 bps shift
Approximate daily impact
Standard lot, 100,000 units
About 250 units
About 0.68 units
Mini lot, 10,000 units
About 25 units
About 0.07 units
Micro lot, 1,000 units
About 2.50 units
About 0.01 units
Note. Figures are illustrative and shown in the quote currency of the pair. Educational illustration only.
How it works in real market conditions
A central bank decision is rarely just about the rate change itself. The market reaction is shaped by three layers: the decision, the statement, and any press conference or projections.
On 5 May 2026, the RBA raised the cash rate to 4.35%. While the hike was the headline, the statement and subsequent press conference provided the context that allowed markets to reprice bond yields and currency pairs in real time.
AUD/USD often spikes, fades, then trends after a rate decision
Stylised intraday reaction in the first 90 minutes around a hawkish RBA surprise.
Illustrative
Source. Stylised illustration based on typical post-decision price behaviour. Educational purposes only. Liquidity can shift quickly: In the first 5 to 15 minutes after a decision, spreads can widen and fills can slip. High-frequency systems can digest language faster than humans, and mean reversion is common before a clearer trend emerges.
Market Dynamics
How central banks ripple across assets
Cash rate decisions rarely affect one market in isolation. They trigger a domino effect through currencies, yields, and volatility at varying speeds.
This kind of sector dispersion is not just an equities story. The same monetary tightening can produce sharply different outcomes across consumer segments, business sizes and parts of the wider economy, a dynamic sometimes called a K-shaped economy.
Major FX pairs
AUD/USD, EUR/USD, and JPY crosses respond directly to yield differentials.
Short-end yields
The 2-year government bond often acts as a leading indicator for currency moves.
Stock indices
High rates discount future earnings, weighing heavily on growth and tech names.
Gold & safe havens
Bullion reacts to real yields and the USD; hawkish shifts usually pressure gold prices.
Energy markets
Prices feed into inflation expectations, creating a feedback loop for central bank policy.
Market dispersion
When index components move in opposite directions following a rate change.
A tightening cycle can split the ASX 200
Illustrative
Stylised illustration of sector dispersion through a tightening cycle, with index levels rebased to 100.
Source. Stylised illustration based on typical sector behaviour during tightening cycles. Outcomes vary by cycle. Educational purposes only.
The Beginner Trap
What many new traders miss
Markets react to the gap between expectations and reality. A hike that is fully priced in can lead to a falling currency; a hold with hawkish guidance can trigger a rally. The chart is only one part of the story. The setup may look simple, but the risk rarely is.
"Success in these events comes from understanding what is already priced in, and what would change the view if it does not play out that way."
Common mistakes to avoid
• Trading headlines: The initial print is often misleading. Wait for the second wave (statement/press conference).
• Binary leverage: Volatility hits stops harder. Scale risk down into known event risks.
• Chasing moves: Entering late usually means buying exhaustion. Wait for clear retracements.
• Narrative vs. trade: A clear story doesn't guarantee a setup. Ask: "What is already in the price?"
• Indicator myopia: No single signal captures global flows. Watch yields and cross-asset confirmation.
• No Invalidation: Without a clear "I am wrong" level, traders hold losing positions far too long.
Next Strategic Step
Master the volatility cycle
Understanding how the cash rate moves the market is only half the battle. Learn how to read the "Fear Gauge" to identify when volatility creates high-probability entry points.