Oil prices were steady on Monday despite Moody's downgrading the US sovereign credit rating and official data showing a slowdown in growth in industrial production and retail sales in China. The developments have raised concerns about the outlook for the world's two largest economies and expectations that demand for oil could slow, after Beijing and Washington agreed to lift most tariffs on each other's goods, boosting prices. "The weaker-than-expected Chinese data did not help crude, although I would describe the setback as modest," said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo. Brent crude futures...
Silver (XAG/USD) traded marginally higher on Monday (5/19), holding above the $32.00 level during the US session, as broader US Dollar (USD) weakness fueled demand for alternative safe-haven assets. The move came in response to Moody's downgrade of the US sovereign credit rating, which has added to market concerns over fiscal sustainability and long-term growth prospects. At the time of writing, Silver prices were up 0.05% on the day, with spot XAG/USD last seen trading around $32.30. The metal is attempting to reclaim the 50-day Simple Moving Average near $32.75, which has capped gains in...
Gold rose as the dollar slumped after Moody's Ratings removed the U.S.'s last top credit rating because of ballooning debt and deficits. Moody's blamed successive administrations and Congress for ballooning budget deficits that it said showed no sign of abating. And there are concerns the situation could get worse, with Republican lawmakers debating President Donald Trump's tax and spending package that critics say will add trillions more to the federal debt over the next decade. The precious metal has been on a roller coaster in recent months. It suffered its biggest weekly loss since...