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...
Oil prices fell on Friday (December 19th) and are expected to post a second straight weekly decline as potential oversupply and the prospect of a Russia-Ukraine peace deal outweigh concerns over disruptions caused by a Venezuelan oil tanker blockade. Brent crude futures fell 17 cents, or 0.28%, to $59.65 a barrel at 0915 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 31 cents, or 0.55%, to $55.84. On a weekly basis, Brent and WTI benchmarks fell 2.4% and 2.8%, respectively. Analysts widely project a global oil oversupply next year, driven by increased production from the...
The US Dollar Index (DXY) continued its rise for the third consecutive session and hovered around 98.60 in European trading on Friday (December 19). Market participants are now awaiting the release of the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index for December, which could provide additional clues about the direction of the economy and the dollar's movement. Despite its strength, the dollar's upside is considered limited as markets increasingly consider the possibility of a Fed interest rate cut after US inflation fell below forecasts. Data showed that US CPI in November slowed to 2.7%...
The US dollar index fluctuated around 98.4 on Friday (December 19) and is expected to close the week relatively unchanged. Investors are still weighing the chances of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut next year, as inflation continues to decline and signs of weakness in the US labor market emerge. The latest inflation data indicates price pressures are easing. The November CPI report showed headline inflation fell to 2.7%, the lowest since July and below market expectations. Core inflation also weakened to 2.6%, the slowest pace since early 2021. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate rose to...
Silver continued to exhibit strong fundamentals on December 19, 2025, with prices continuing to approach or even break record highs due to strong global demand and relatively tight supply. Silver has strengthened sharply throughout 2025, far outperforming gold in price performance, due to numerous driving factors from both the industrial and investment sectors. Reuters One of the main reasons for the strong fundamentals is the ongoing structural deficit: global demand for silver—particularly from industrial sectors such as solar panels, electric vehicles, electronics, and other green...
The Japanese yen is the worst-performing major currency against the US dollar throughout 2025, despite the Bank of Japan (BOJ) raising interest rates. Even with further tightening measures, the yen could remain in the "danger zone" that could trigger government intervention. The BOJ is expected to raise interest rates by a quarter percentage point on Friday, bringing the policy rate to a three-decade high of 0.75%. Futures indicate the possibility of additional hikes of around 40 basis points next year, making the BOJ one of the most aggressive G10 central banks, alongside the Reserve Bank...
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...