European shares closed higher on Monday, rebounding from six-week lows as a surge in banking stocks offset a decline in Swiss shares following a hefty 39% U.S. tariff on Swiss goods. The pan-European STOXX 600 index, rose 0.9%, with most major regional markets, barring Swiss stocks, rebounding from Friday's sharp losses, when worries about tariffs and a weak U.S. jobs report hammered sentiment. The German DAX climbed 1.4%, France's CAC 40 rose 1.1% and Britain's FTSE 100 added 0.7%. Zurich's SMI index dipped 0.2% as trading resumed following a long weekend. Switzerland was left stunned on...
The Australian Dollar (AUD) ends its three-day winning streak against the US Dollar (USD), with the AUD/USD pair trading subdued following the release of mixed Chinese Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) data on Monday. As close trade partners, China's economic performance significantly impacts the Australian economy. China's NBS Manufacturing PMI fell to 49.1 in January, down from 50.1 in December, missing the market expectation of 50.1. Similarly, the NBS Non-Manufacturing PMI declined to 50.2 in January compared to December's 52.2 reading. The Australian Dollar also failed to gain support...
Gold edges lower in early Asian trade, as investors await the Federal Reserve's rate decision this week, when interest rates are widely expected to be kept on hold. "A change in the tone of the Federal Reserve could affect the direction of the market," says Harbourfront Wealth - Sonora Wealth Group in a note. However, the global economic outlook under the Trump administration could continue supporting gold prices, says its investment advisor Miro Svoboda. Gold typically has an inverse relationship with interest rates, with high rates damping demand for the non-interest-bearing metal. Spot...
Oil fell as President Donald Trump imposed his first set of sanctions and tariffs in a move that highlighted risks to the global economy and to trade. Brent dropped toward $78 a barrel after logging its first weekly decline this year, with West Texas Intermediate above $74. The US imposed tariffs and sanctions on Colombia after it didn't allow military planes carrying deported migrants to land. The administration has also threatened actions on flows of goods from a host of other nations, including Canada and China. Crude remains higher this year, after an earlier round of...
EUR/USD rallies to near the psychological resistance of 1.0500 on Friday as the Hamburg Commercial Bank (HCOB) reported that the Eurozone preliminary Composite Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) grew in January after shrinking in the last two months. Flash HCOB PMI report, compiled by S&P Global, showed that overall business activity expanded. The Composite PMI rose to 50.2 from 49.6 in November. Economists expected the PMI to continue to decline but at a slower pace to 49.7.The kick-off to the new year is mildly encouraging. The private sector is back in cautious growth mode after two...
Oil prices settled slightly higher on Friday but posted a weekly decline, ending four straight weeks of gains, after U.S. President Donald Trump announced sweeping plans to boost domestic production while demanding that OPEC move to lower crude prices. Brent crude futures settled up 21 cents, or 0.27%, to $78.50 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) settled up 4 cents, or 0.05%, to $74.66. Brent has lost 2.8% this week while WTI was down 4.1%. Trump on Friday reiterated his call for the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries to cut oil prices to hurt oil-rich...