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...
The dollar index fell to around 99.6 on Friday and was set to lose more than 1% for the week, weighed down by concerns over the US fiscal outlook. President Trump's new budget bill, which includes tax cuts and increased defense spending, has raised concerns that it could further inflate the US national debt. The Congressional Budget Office estimates the bill will add nearly $4 trillion to the national debt, fueling fears of long-term fiscal instability. These concerns were compounded by Moody's recent downgrade of the US credit rating from Aaa to Aa1, citing ballooning deficits and the...
WTI crude oil futures fell below $61 per barrel on Friday, heading for its first weekly decline in three, pressured by the potential for OPEC+ to raise crude production. The group is reportedly considering a third consecutive monthly increase in output quotas, possibly adding 411,000 bpd in July, though no agreement has been finalized. This adds to growing oversupply concerns, following an unexpected rise in US crude stockpiles earlier in the week. Data from The Tank Tiger also showed that US crude storage demand has recently surged to levels last seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, as...
Gold steadied after its first decline this week, as some traders turned to longer-term U.S. Treasury bonds and the dollar instead of the precious metal. Bullion traded near $3,300 an ounce, reversing gains made on Thursday, and is still up nearly 3% this week after buying the safe-haven asset following a Moody's downgrade of the U.S. rating. The world's largest economy faces a precarious fiscal situation, with a growing debt pile and rising interest payments that could lead to higher borrowing costs and make it harder to reduce the deficit. The precious metal has surged by about a quarter...
The Australian dollar (AUD) was under pressure again on Thursday (5/22) as the US dollar (USD) found its footing, with risk appetite fading and broader markets leaning towards the defensive. A strong surge in the US Dollar Index (DXY) weighed on the AUD, pushing AUD/USD down to 0.6415, a key support level that has acted as a floor in recent sessions. At the time of writing, the pair was trading around 0.6418, hovering just above its intraday low as sellers tested the resolve of near-term support. US dollar buoyed by strong data, but longer-term risks loom The Aussie's decline reflects...
Gold prices fell about 0.48% on Thursday (5/23) and failed to hold the $3,300 mark after hitting a two-week high of $3,345 earlier. A stronger US dollar weighed on the bullion as US Treasury yields fell from intraday highs as the US House of Representatives approved Trump's budget, which will now be sent to the Senate for approval. XAU/USD was trading at $3,289, down 0.83%. Market sentiment improved slightly but remained fragile as it was sponsored by Moody's downgrade of the US government's debt rating. The fiscal package so far approved by the US lower house is projected to add $4...
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...