US Stocks plunged on Friday, as investors reacted to a weak July jobs report and a fresh round of tariffs announced by President Trump. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell 1.6% and 2.2%, their steepest drops since April, while the Dow lost 542 points. Payrolls rose by just 73,000 in July, far below expectations, with sharp downward revisions to prior months signaling deeper labor market weakness. Treasury yields fell and the odds of a September Fed rate cut rose above 80%. Sentiment worsened after new tariffs of 10% to 41% were imposed on imports from key partners including Canada, India, and...
The dollar index held steady around 106.3 on Wednesday, after three straight days of gains, as investors braced for a crucial US inflation report that could have a significant impact on Federal Reserve policy. A higher-than-expected inflation reading could delay the Fed's plans to reduce borrowing costs, potentially supporting the US dollar. That said, markets are currently pricing in an 86% chance of a 25 basis point rate cut by the Fed later this month, although the outlook for 2025 remains highly uncertain. Traders are also eyeing interest rate decisions from the Bank of Canada and the...
The Australian Dollar (AUD) hovers against the US Dollar (USD) on Wednesday after experiencing losses in the previous session. The AUD/USD pair faced challenges, driven by the broadly stronger US dollar (USD). Traders now focus on the release of crucial US November Consumer Price Index (CPI) data, which are expected to be released later in the North American session. The US CPI inflation is estimated to rise to 2.7% YoY in November from 2.6% in October. Meanwhile, the core CPI, excluding Food & Energy, is expected to increase 3.3% YoY. Any indications of stalled progress could...
West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the US crude oil benchmark, is trading around $68.20 on Wednesday. The WTI price remains on the defensive amid a surprise climb in crude inventories and weak demand outlooks, particularly in China. However, the escalating geopolitical tensions in the Middle East might cap the downside for the WTI price. WTI prices edges lower after disappointing China's international trade data on Tuesday. China's exports rose 6.7% YoY in November, while Imports fell by 3.9% YoY during the same period. Both the readings came below the market consensus. Additionally, China...
EUR/USD shed close to 0.2% on Tuesday, chalking in a third straight declining trading day and testing down into the 1.0500 handle as the Euro's near-term bullish recovery fizzles out. Fiber is backsliding into a cautious stance ahead of a key US Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation print due on Wednesday, with another rate call from the European Central Bank (ECB) just around the corner on Thursday. Wednesday's CPI inflation print, which serves as one of the last key data releases before the Federal Reserve's (Fed) last policy meeting in 2024. Signs that progress on inflation has stalled...
Gold rose during the North American session on Tuesday with buyers eyeing the $2,700 mark for the first time since November 25. One of the drivers of the yellow metal's rise was expectations that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will cut interest rates at its December meeting. At the time of writing, XAU/USD was trading at $2,694, up 1.32%. US economic data released on the day suggested that small businesses have grown optimistic about the economy, according to a survey by the National Federation of Independent Business. However, traders are focused on the release of US inflation figures on the...