Oil continued to rise after U.S. crude inventories fell the most since December, signaling a near-term supply squeeze. West Texas Intermediate was trading near $70 a barrel after closing 0.9% higher on Wednesday, while Brent settled below $74. U.S. stockpiles fell by 3.34 million barrels last week, the lowest in a month, while gasoline inventories also fell, government data showed. Oil has been on an upward trend since early March as sanctions and tariffs from U.S. President Donald Trump raised the prospect of supply disruptions from producers including Iran and Venezuela. That prompted...
The Australian Dollar (AUD) remains under pressure against the US Dollar (USD) for the second consecutive day on Thursday, as risk-off sentiment rises amid concerns over impending US auto tariffs. The AUD/USD pair weakened following President Donald Trump's decision late Wednesday to impose a 25% tariff on auto imports, further escalating global trade tensions. The tariffs are set to take effect on April 2, with collection beginning the following day. President Trump suggested plans on Wednesday to impose tariffs on copper imports within weeks, although the Commerce Department initially had...
The dollar index fell below 104.5 on Thursday, paring gains from the previous session as investors weighed the impact of Trump's new auto tariffs. Late Wednesday, President Trump announced a 25 percent tariff on all imported cars and light trucks, which will go into effect on April 2, along with reciprocal tariffs on countries with levies on U.S. goods—measures he has vowed to maintain during his second term. The escalating trade war has stoked concerns about slower U.S. economic growth and renewed inflationary pressures, unsettling financial markets. U.S. consumer confidence plunged to its...