Gold prices briefly fell following the release of US inflation (CPI) data. The initial market reaction was driven by concerns that high inflation could force the Federal Reserve to maintain a tighter stance on interest rates. This condition boosted the US dollar and depressed gold prices in the short term. However, after the market more thoroughly digested the CPI data, gold rebounded. Investors assessed that inflation was not as high as feared or was showing signs of slowing, thus limiting the likelihood of further policy tightening. The weakening dollar and falling US bond yields then...
U.S. President Donald Trump said he was ready for a legal battle after moving to oust Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over allegations she falsified mortgage documents. Meanwhile, the central bank stated it would respect any court ruling in Cook's legal challenge against her dismissal. Trump's attempt to remove her is unprecedented in the Fed's 111-year history as a nominally independent U.S. institution, raising alarms over political pressure on monetary policy. Reuters said that if Cook's seat is vacated, Trump would gain the chance to appoint a majority of the Fed's seven-member...
The U.S. Department of Commerce issued affirmative determinations of anti-dumping and countervailing duties against 10 countries on Tuesday after investigations into corrosion-resistant steel products. The determinations cover $2.9 billion in imports from Australia, Brazil, Canada, Mexico, the Netherlands, South Africa, Taiwan, Turkey, the United Arab Emirates and Vietnam, the Commerce Department said in a statement. "Commerce made its final determinations that imports of CORE into the United States from ten trading partners were being dumped and/or subsidized," the department...
U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said on Tuesday that customs duty revenues from President Donald Trump's tariffs may top $500 billion a year, with a substantial jump from July to August and likely a bigger jump in September. Bessent told a White House Cabinet meeting that his prior estimate of a $300 billion annual tariff collection rate was too low. "We had a substantial jump from July to August, and I think we're going to see a bigger jump from August to September," Bessent said. "So I think we could be on our way well over half a trillion, maybe towards a trillion-dollar number....
The Conference Board's measure of consumer confidence fell to 97.4 in August from 98.7 in July, compared with a larger decrease expected to a reading of 96.5 in a survey compiled by Bloomberg as of 7:30 am ET. The present situation reading decreased to 131.2 from 132.8, while the expectations reading decreased to 74.8 from 76.0. The current assessment of business conditions improved in August while the assessment of labor market conditions was more negative. "Notably, consumers' appraisal of current job availability declined for the eighth consecutive month, but stronger views of current...
The latest report on Durable Goods Orders has been released, revealing a decline of 2.8%. This metric measures the change in the total value of new orders for long-lasting manufactured goods, including transportation items. It serves as a crucial indicator of the health of the manufacturing sector and the overall economy. The actual decline of 2.8% is less severe than the forecasted drop of 3.8%. This smaller-than-expected decrease is a positive sign for the U.S. dollar (USD), as Durable Goods Orders are a key factor in the valuation of the currency. A higher than expected reading is...
Global investors were stunned on Tuesday (August 26th) after US President Donald Trump renewed his attacks on the Federal Reserve's independence, caught between concerns over the politicization of policy and market benefits. Trump's announcement that he was firing Fed Chair Lisa Cook caught markets by surprise, even though he had made it clear last week that Cook was a target and had been attacking Chairman Jerome Powell for months as part of his campaign to push the Fed to cut interest rates. "This is another rift in the fabric of the United States and its investability," said Kyle Rodda,...
President Donald Trump said the US has more leverage over China on trade than the other way around, citing airplane parts as a key item Washington has to counter Beijing's restrictions on rare earths. "We have much bigger and better cards than they do," he said Monday. "If I played those cards, that would destroy China. I'm not going to play those cards." China halted most shipments of rare-earth magnets to the US in April, weaponizing the nation's 90% grip on global production to squeeze American factories. Beijing agreed to normalize flows as part of a trade truce...
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday evening that Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook was to be removed from her post, effective immediately, alleging that she made false statements in two mortgage applications. Trump, in a letter released to social media, said that there is "sufficient cause" for Cooke's removal. "There is sufficient reason to believe (Cook) may have made false statements on one or more mortgage agreements," Trump said in a letter, alleging that Cook declared two separate properties as her primary residences in two separate mortgage agreements signed within weeks of...
Gold rises in the early Asian trade. There's a broad commodities uptrend, driven by macro uncertainty, a weaker dollar, and persistent demand for "hard" assets, says Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst...
Oil extended declines after OPEC+ agreed to a bigger-than-expected production increase next month, raising concerns about oversupply just as US tariffs fan fears about the demand outlook.
Brent...
The Japanese Yen (JPY) weakened against its US counterpart and reversed part of Friday's recovery from the lowest level since July 23 following Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda's remarks....