Where do these numbers come from?

FRED, published by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, for the series produced by US federal agencies, and the Bank of Korea statistics system (ECOS) for series the Bank of Korea itself compiles. Copyrighted index series such as the S&P 500, the Nasdaq composite and the VIX are not republished here.

Why does the won rate differ from the Seoul close?

This is the Federal Reserve’s New York reference rate, so it differs from the Seoul market close and from rates quoted by Korean banks. Use it for the trend rather than for a precise level.

What does an inverted yield curve mean?

It means the 10-year yield sits below the 2-year. It has often appeared ahead of past US slowdowns, which is why it gets quoted, but the lag has been long and uneven, so it does not tell you when anything will happen.

How often is this updated?

Twice a day. When a source agency posts late or revises a figure, the number here follows. There are no new readings on weekends or US holidays.

Economic data

Exchange rates, interest rates and oil — the numbers that move the market as a whole. Latest reading as of Nov 13.

Only public data that can be republished with attribution is shown here. The won traded at 1,361.9 per US dollar as of Nov 6. The US 10-year Treasury yield is 5.10%. The 10-year minus 2-year spread is 0.27pp. Brent crude is 92.14 US dollars a barrel. These figures are context for the market as a whole, not a view on any single stock, and are not investment advice.

Korean won per US dollar US Federal Reserve Board

1,361.9KRW as of Nov 6

vs previous +8.9 vs a year ago −87.4

Oct 20

Oct 23

Oct 28

Nov 2

Nov 5

Range shown 1,325.1 to 1,361.9

A New York market reference rate, not the Seoul close, so it differs slightly from rates quoted by Korean banks.

US federal funds rate US Federal Reserve Board

3.88% as of Nov 12

vs a year ago +0.01

Oct 30

Nov 2

Nov 5

Nov 8

Nov 11

Unchanged at 3.88

The effective rate actually traded overnight, inside the target range the FOMC sets.

US 10-year Treasury yield US Federal Reserve Board

5.10% as of Nov 12

vs previous +0.12 vs a year ago +1.02

Oct 23

Oct 28

Nov 2

Nov 5

Nov 10

Range shown 4.84 to 5.10

The benchmark for long-term rates worldwide. A rise is commonly described as a headwind for growth-stock valuations.

US 10-year minus 2-year spread US Federal Reserve Board

0.27pp as of Nov 13

vs previous +0.03 vs a year ago −0.26

Oct 26

Oct 29

Nov 3

Nov 6

Nov 12

Range shown 0.24 to 0.38

The 10-year yield less the 2-year. A sustained negative reading (an inverted curve) is widely read as a slowdown signal.

Japanese yen per US dollar US Federal Reserve Board

158.23JPY as of Nov 6

vs previous +0.47 vs a year ago +5.26

Oct 20

Oct 23

Oct 28

Nov 2

Nov 5

Range shown 156.87 to 158.50

Often moves in the same direction as the won, so the two are watched together.

Brent crude oil US Energy Information Administration

92.14USD as of Nov 11

vs previous +1.98 vs a year ago +28.28

Oct 23

Oct 28

Nov 2

Nov 5

Nov 10

Range shown 90.16 to 128.30

Price per barrel. It feeds through to refiners, chemicals and airlines, and to inflation.

Questions about this data

Where do these numbers come from?: FRED, published by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis, for the series produced by US federal agencies, and the Bank of Korea statistics system (ECOS) for series the Bank of Korea itself compiles. Copyrighted index series such as the S&P 500, the Nasdaq composite and the VIX are not republished here.
Why does the won rate differ from the Seoul close?: This is the Federal Reserve’s New York reference rate, so it differs from the Seoul market close and from rates quoted by Korean banks. Use it for the trend rather than for a precise level.
What does an inverted yield curve mean?: It means the 10-year yield sits below the 2-year. It has often appeared ahead of past US slowdowns, which is why it gets quoted, but the lag has been long and uneven, so it does not tell you when anything will happen.
How often is this updated?: Twice a day. When a source agency posts late or revises a figure, the number here follows. There are no new readings on weekends or US holidays.

Sources

Exchange rates, interest rates and oil come from FRED, published by the Federal Reserve Bank of St. Louis; the series are produced by the US Federal Reserve Board and the US Energy Information Administration (public domain, citation requested). Korean series come from the Bank of Korea statistics system (ECOS). Copyrighted index series are not republished.