Oil steadied near the lowest this year as President Donald Trump's geopolitical positions and threats of tariffs on energy weighed on the outlook. West Texas Intermediate traded above $71 a barrel after falling 2.3% on Wednesday to cancel out all year-to-date gains, while Brent crude closed below $75. China is set to impose retaliatory tariffs on the US from Monday, igniting a trade war that could hurt global growth, while the US leader's proposal to take over Gaza was widely condemned. Investors have pulled out of crude and fuel markets since Trump's inauguration,...
The Australian Dollar (AUD) edges lower against the US Dollar (USD) following lower-than-expected Trade Balance data released on Thursday. Additionally, the AUD/USD pair receives downward pressure from risk-off sentiment amid rising fears over US-China trade tensions. Australia's trade surplus fell to 5,085M in December, missing the expected 7,000M and down from the previous surplus of 6,792M. Exports increased by 1.1% MoM, slowing from November's 4.2% rise, while imports surged 5.9% MoM, up from 1.4% in the prior month. Traders closely watch the ongoing trade war between the United States...
Gold steadied in Asian trading — after blowing through a series of record highs in the previous session — with rising economic and geopolitical risks supporting haven demand. Bullion held near $2,870 an ounce — having added 0.9% on Wednesday — after President Donald Trump said the US could take over Gaza, a comment that his aides sought to tone down, and that he wants to start working on a new nuclear deal with Iran. Washington is also expected to present a plan to end Russia's war on Ukraine next week. Worries about the fallout from the US-China trade...