The US dollar index fluctuated around 98.4 on Friday (December 19) and is expected to close the week relatively unchanged. Investors are still weighing the chances of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut next year, as inflation continues to decline and signs of weakness in the US labor market emerge. The latest inflation data indicates price pressures are easing. The November CPI report showed headline inflation fell to 2.7%, the lowest since July and below market expectations. Core inflation also weakened to 2.6%, the slowest pace since early 2021. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate rose to...
New York Federal Reserve President John Williams said on Wednesday central banks must "respond relatively strongly" when inflation begins to deviate from their target. Given high uncertainty around the economic impact of U.S. tariffs and trade policy, central banks should focus on avoiding taking steps where the "cost of getting it wrong far outweighs the benefits," rather than aiming for the perfect solution to the problem, he said. Among the costly risks central banks must avoid are to allow inflation expectations to deviate from their targets, Williams said in a fireside chat with BOJ...
The US dollar (USD) regained some ground and managed to shake off two consecutive daily retracements on Tuesday (5/27), as US investors returned to their desks after the Memorial Day holiday on Monday. Meanwhile, traders focused on the trade front as well as the Senate debate on Trump's sweeping tax bill. Here's what to watch for Wednesday, May 28: The US Dollar Index (DXY) bounced off a multi-week trough on Tuesday, rising to a two-day high near 99.60 amid a decline in US yields across the curve. The release of the FOMC Minutes from the May 7 meeting will be the key event, followed by the...
"I am very pleased with the 50% tariff allocation on the European Union, especially since they have been slow (to put it mildly!), in our negotiations with them," US President Donald Trump said in a post published on Truth Social on Tuesday. "I was just informed that the EU has asked for an immediate date for a meeting. This is a positive event, and I hope that they will finally, as I have asked China, open up European Countries to Trade with the United States," Trump added. The comments failed to spark a noticeable reaction in the US Dollar (USD). At the time of writing, the USD Index was...
Chinese Commerce Minister Wang Wentao and EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic are set to hold another round of talks in early June on the sidelines of a WTO meeting in Paris, according to the Global Times. "The two sides will conduct in-depth exchanges on the important topic of China-EU economic and trade cooperation," a source said, adding the talks will help prepare for future high-level exchanges. This meeting marks the third between the two in 2025, reflecting a notable increase in China-EU engagement amid global trade uncertainty. Recent initiatives include the China-EU Working Group...
Tencent and Baidu, two of China's largest technology companies, revealed how they're keeping in the global artificial intelligence race even as the U.S. tightens some curbs on key semiconductors. The business' methods include stockpiling chips, making AI models more efficient and even using homegrown semiconductors. While the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump scrapped one controversial Biden-era chip rule, it still tightened exports of some semiconductors from companies including Nvidia and AMD in April. Big names in the sector addressed the issue during their latest earnings...
President Donald Trump threatened Monday to divert billions of dollars in endowment funds from Harvard University and give them to vocational schools across the U.S., escalating his feud with the elite institution. "I am considering taking Three Billion Dollars of Endowment Funds from the highly anti-Semitic Harvard, and giving them to STRUGGLE SCHOOLS across our country," Trump said in a social media post. "What a great investment that would be for the U.S., and much needed!!!" Harvard did not immediately respond to a request for comment. The Trump administration has moved to freeze...
Iran would be able to survive if negotiations with the U.S. over its nuclear programme fail to secure a deal, President Masoud Pezeshkian said on Monday, after President Donald Trump described weekend talks with Tehran as "very good". The negotiations aim to resolve a decades-long dispute over Iran's nuclear ambitions, and Trump has threatened Iran with crippling economic sanctions and bombing if no new nuclear agreement is reached. "It's not like we will die of hunger if they refuse to negotiate with us or impose sanctions," Pezeshkian was quoted as saying by state media about the talks...
U.S. President Donald Trump on Sunday backed off his threat to speed up 50% tariffs on imports from the European Union, agreeing to extend his deadline for trade talks until July 9 after the head of the EU executive body said the bloc needed more time to "reach a good deal." Trump threatened on Friday to intensify his trade war after expressing frustrations that trade talks were not moving quickly enough, saying he wanted steep new import taxes to start on June 1. The threat roiled global markets. Trump relented after European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen told him during a...
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....