US stocks closed higher on Friday, with the S&P 500 up 0.8%, and the Nasdaq climbing nearly 1%, while the Dow gaining 206 points. Technology shares, led by Apple which surged 4.2% following its announcement of a $600 billion US investment plan helped lift the tech-heavy Nasdaq to new intraday highs. Investor optimism was also fueled by expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts, with President Trump nominating Stephen Miran to the Fed Board, signaling possible shifts in monetary policy, despite concerns over new tariffs imposed by the Trump administration on imports from multiple...
Gold prices fell on Wednesday (2/19) during the North American session after the latest Federal Reserve (Fed) monetary policy minutes showed that all policymakers voted to keep interest rates unchanged at their January meeting. XAU/USD was trading around $2,925, down 0.31%. The minutes showed that Fed officials assessed the risks of a dual mandate as roughly balanced, while "some participants cited potential changes in trade and immigration policies as potentially hindering the disinflation process." Participants noted that some measures of inflation expectations "have risen...
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the performance of the US Dollar (USD) against six major currencies, is slowly moving higher and recovers above the 107.00 level on Wednesday, with traders seeing the DXY well positioned amidst all tariff and geopolitical headlines. Overnight, United States (US) President Donald Trump said that car tariffs will be around 25%, and that pharmaceutical and semiconductor imports will be added to the same scheme by April. President Trump tried to deflect the rather unsuccessful first day of negotiations between Russia and the US officials on a peace deal...
Oil prices edged higher in European trading on Wednesday, as traders weighed supply disruption concerns in Russia and the U.S.. Yet gains were limited by the prospect of easing sanctions of Russia -- and a subsequent return of supplies from the major oil-producing country -- in the event of a peace deal to halt the war in Ukraine. Brent crude futures rose 0.5% to $76.26 a barrel by 06:13 ET, while West Texas Intermediate crude futures had increased by 0.6% to $72.29 per barrel.Prices rose in the prior session after Ukrainian drone strikes targeted a key Russian crude-pumping station,...
The Pound Sterling weakens against its major peers even though the United Kingdom (UK) Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for January showed that inflationary pressures accelerated at a faster-than-expected pace. In the 12 months to January, the headline CPI rose by 3%, faster than estimates of 2.8% and the December reading of 2.5%. In the same period, the core CPI – which excludes volatile components of food, energy, alcohol, and tobacco – grew by 3.7%, as expected, faster than the former reading of 3.2%. Month-on-month headline CPI inflation deflated at a slower-than-projected pace of...
Oil extended this week's advance on uncertainties around supplies from Russia, Kazakhstan and the rest of the OPEC+ alliance. Brent rose for a third straight session, trading above $76 a barrel. OPEC+ is weighing pushing back a series of monthly supply increases due to begin in April, which would be the fourth delay if implemented.At the same time, the exclusion of President Volodymyr Zelenskiy from US-led talks to end the war in Ukraine may slow an agreement and, consequently, the potential normalization of Russian crude flows.Source: Bloomberg