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...
Oil extended gains on Tuesday after a drone attack on an oil pipeline pumping station in Russia reduced flows from Kazakhstan, though prices were kept in check by the prospect of rising supply. Brent crude futures gained 44 cents, or 0.6%, to $75.66 per barrel by 1014 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures were up 91 cents from Friday's close to $71.65 a barrel. There was no settlement for WTI on Monday because of the U.S. Presidents' Day holiday. "The overriding theme driving oil prices lately has been around supply expectations. With the weakness in prices over past weeks, news...
EUR/USD declines to near 1.0450 in Tuesday's European session after failing to hold above the psychological resistance of 1.0500 in the last two trading days. The major currency pair slumps as the US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback's value against six major currencies, rebounds after attracting bids near a two-month low and recovers to near 107.00 at the press time. The Greenback discovers buying interest as investors weigh in expectations that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will keep interest rates in the current range of 4.25%-4.50% for a longer period. On Monday, a slew of...
Gold's price (XAU/USD) is flirting with a near 0.50% gain this Tuesday in the European trading session, with the precious metal trading around $2,910 at the time of writing. US yields are catching up on events after the US President's Day holiday on Monday. Still, Gold is in favor of traders as a safe haven for tariffs and geopolitical uncertainty. Meanwhile, Federal Reserve Bank (Fed) President of Philadelphia Patrick Harker advocated on Monday night for the central bank to keep interest rates unchanged. He pointed out that recent inflation reports and gauges are not tracking economic...
The Pound Sterling (GBP) gives up an upbeat United Kingdom (UK) labor market data-driven recovery against its major peers on Tuesday. The British currency falls back as Bank of England (BoE) Governor Andrew Bailey has reiterated his concerns over the economic outlook. Bailey said in an event hosted by Bruegel, in Brussels in Tuesday's European session that we (officials) are facing a "weak growth environment" in the UK and added that we are in a period of "heightened uncertainty". Bailey also said in his interview with the BusinessLine on Monday that the economic outlook is sluggish and...
The dollar rises as its recent downward correction has likely run its course in the absence of tangible negative drivers, ING analyst Francesco Pesole says in a note. Markets will remain focused on any developments on U.S.-Russia talks over the Ukraine war, he says. Barring any major breakthrough, the "optimistic push and relative upbeat risk sentiment may stall or fade in the next couple of days and the dollar can continue to recover some ground. The DXY dollar index rises 0.3% to 106.915 after falling to a two-month low of 106.566 on Friday. Source: Marketwatch