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SINGAPORE (Reuters) -The dollar was soft on Thursday, with the euro perched near an eight-month high after data showed U.S. inflation was slowing, underpinning wagers that the Federal Reserve could lower borrowing costs next month. Bouts of intervention from Tokyo early last month and then a surprise rate hike from the Bank of Japan at the end of July wrong-footed investors who bailed out of popular carry trade, lifting the yen. In the U.S., data on Wednesday showed the consumer price index rose moderately, in line with expectations, and the annual increase in inflation slowed to below 3% for the first time since early 2021.

Last week’s spate of market volatility, the poor July jobs report, and the prospect of Federal Reserve interest rate cuts are together prompting renewed fears of a near-term recession. A recent contraction in the PMI – purchasing managers’ index – hasn’t helped matters. And while the market is bouncing back this week, investors are starting to diversify their portfolios – and are looking for a slightly more defensive stance. The packaged food industry makes a sound place to look for such portfol

This week, and this month, are once again showing that data is king, with investors parsing recent economic releases for clues on the likely pace of interest cuts at the Federal Reserve and the Bank of England. Potential flashpoints for policy expectations loom for the currency markets on Thursday, when U.S. retail sales and Britain's GDP are due for release. Mild readings for U.S. inflation this week have cemented market certainty that the Fed will lower borrowing costs in September for the first time in 4 1/2 years, but debate still rages over whether policy makers will opt for a super-sized 50 basis-point reduction or a more standard quarter-point cut.

The GLP-1 (weight-loss drug) boom is continuing to gain steam. As the two leaders in the space, Eli Lilly (LLY) and Novo Nordisk (NVO) stand out as top picks for investors to play the trend. Though the two biotech innovators have felt the pressure from the July-August market sell-off, high demand and efforts to ramp up production seem to be setting the stage for a glorious growth surge at some point over the near future. As always, though, one firm may be in better shape than the other to seize

"I'm open to something happening in terms of us moving before the fourth quarter," Bostic told the newspaper. Bostic's comments are a step ahead of his comments earlier this week where he said he wants to see "a little more data" before he's ready to support lowering interest rates. U.S. consumer prices rose moderately in July and the annual increase in inflation slowed to below 3% for the first time in nearly 3-1/2 years, opening the door wider for the Federal Reserve to cut rates next month.

Investors are pricing in with certainty that a rate cut is coming in September, per the CME FedWatch tool.