Stephen Miran, a Federal Reserve governor whose term ends at the end of January, said Thursday that he is looking for 150 basis points of interest-rate cuts this year to boost the U.S. labor market. Miran told Bloomberg Television's Surveillance program that Fed officials had room to further reduce rates given his view that underlying inflation was likely running at 2.3%. "I'm looking for about a point and a half of cuts. A lot of that is driven by my view of inflation," Miran said. "Underlying inflation is running within noise of our target, and that's a good indication of where overall...
Gold prices held steady on Friday (August 1st), but were set for a third consecutive weekly loss due to pressure from a stronger dollar and diminishing expectations for a US interest rate cut, while uncertainty surrounding US tariffs on trading partners provided support. Spot gold was steady at $3,293.56 per ounce as of 09:34 GMT. Bullion was down 1.4% for the week. US gold futures edged down 0.1% to $3,344.60. The dollar index hit its highest level since May 29, making gold more expensive for holders of other currencies. "Gold remains weighed down by diminishing speculation of a Fed rate...
The dollar headed for its strongest weekly performance in nearly three years against major currencies, maintaining momentum on Friday (August 1st) after US President Donald Trump imposed new tariffs on dozens of trading partners. Some currencies of the hardest-hit countries, such as Switzerland, which now faces 39% tariffs, fell sharply. The Swiss franc hit its weakest level in six weeks, while the Canadian dollar headed for its seventh straight weekly decline. The dollar also strengthened against other currencies due to factors other than tariffs. The yen headed for its biggest weekly...
Oil prices were little changed on Friday (August 1st) and headed for weekly gains, as investors weighed the impact of further tariffs and sanctions from US President Donald Trump. Brent crude futures rose 19 cents, or 0.26%, to $71.89 per barrel at 08:23 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 20 cents, or 0.29%, to $69.46 per barrel. Oil prices stabilized on Friday after falling more than 1% in the previous session. However, for the week, Brent is expected to rise 5%, and WTI around 6.6%. Investors have been focused on the potential impact of US tariffs on oil prices this week,...
Silver prices fell 0.5% to near $36.50 during the European trading session on Friday (August 1). The precious metal faced selling pressure as the confirmation of tariff agreements by the United States (US) with several of its major trading partners, such as Japan, the European Union (EU), South Korea, and others, as well as growing investor confidence that Washington will reach a deal with China, has reduced demand for safe-haven assets, such as silver. Safe-haven assets have performed strongly since US President Donald Trump's announcement of tariff policies, which aim to reduce the...
Silver prices hovered around $36.60 per ounce on Friday and were on track for a weekly loss of about 4%, pressured by a stronger US dollar. The dollar's strength was underpinned by renewed trade tensions after President Donald Trump reaffirmed a 10% global tariff and imposed reciprocal levies of up to 41% on countries without finalized trade deals. Investors also remained cautious ahead of the July US jobs report, which is expected to guide the Federal Reserve's next policy move. On Thursday, core PCE prices, the Fed's preferred inflation gauge, rose 0.3% in June and 2.8% year-on-year,...
Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda stated that achieving 2% inflation is getting closer, although real inflation remains low. Ueda emphasized that the BOJ will continue to raise interest rates...
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) maintained its cash rate at 4.1% during its April meeting, holding borrowing costs unchanged after slashing 25 bps in the February meeting, aligning with market...