Oil prices stabilized on Thursday (February 12th), as the market reassigned a risk premium to US-Iran tensions despite US inventory data showing swelling domestic supplies. This movement confirms one thing: geopolitical headlines are still more "noise" than signals of a short-term surplus. As of 3:50 PM WIB, Brent was at $69.60/barrel (+0.29%) and WTI was at $64.83/barrel (+0.31%). The gains were moderate, but enough to keep prices near the psychological $70 level for Brent. From a geopolitical perspective, market focus is on the potential for escalation in the Middle East. Recent reports...
President Donald Trump confirmed Monday that tariffs on Mexico, and Canada are set to go ahead on Tuesday as both nations have now run out of room to negotiate a deal. Starting on Tuesday, all imported products from Canada and Mexico will be subject to 25% import duties. Trump has pointed to the lack of effort from Mexico and Canada to shore up their borders with the U.S. to stem the flow of the "vast amounts" of fentanyl that have poured into the United States. "No room left for Mexico or for Canada," the president told reporters at the White House. "The tariffs, you know, they're all...
St. Louis Federal Reserve President Alberto Musalem said on Monday he expects the U.S. economy to continue to expand this year, but recent weaker-than-expected consumption and housing data and reports from business contacts have raised concerns about possible risks to growth. "The outlook for continued solid economic growth looks good, the labor market is healthy, and financial conditions are supportive. But recent data have been weaker than expected, especially consumer spending and housing market data, posing some downside risk to growth," Musalem said in comments prepared for delivery...
Data from the Institute for Supply Management (ISM) show the Manufacturing PMI receding to 50.3 in February, down from 50.9 in the previous month and falling behind analysts' forecasts of 50.5. Meanwhile, the Prices Paid Index—which tracks inflation—advanced to 62.4 from 54.9, the Employment Index ticked lower to 47.6 from 50.3, and the New Orders Index deflated to 48.6, from 55.1. Market reaction The Greenback maintains its downbeat performance at the beginning of the week, motivating the US Dollar Index (DXY) to deflate to the 106.60 region. Source : Fxstreet
China is targeting American agricultural exports as it prepares retaliatory measures against new US import tariffs, China's state-backed Global Times reported, raising the stakes in an escalating trade war between the world's top two economies. US President Donald Trump last week threatened China with an additional 10% tariff that would take effect on Tuesday, resulting in a cumulative tariff of 20%, and accused Beijing of not doing enough to stop the flow of fentanyl into America, which China said amounted to "blackmail." "China is studying and formulating relevant countermeasures in...
Top Republicans aligned with U.S. President Donald Trump pushed Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy on Sunday to change his position on the war with Russia or step aside, ramping up pressure on the Ukrainian leader after a contentious White House meeting last week. European leaders gave a show of support to Zelenskiy at a meeting in London on Sunday, with British Prime Minister Keir Starmer urging his counterparts to step up their defense efforts, just two days after Trump and Vice President JD Vance clashed with Zelenskiy in the Oval Office, spurring him to leave early without signing...
Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy urged President Donald Trump on Friday not to compromise with a killer, referring to the Russian leader, as they met to sign a deal for U.S. participation in Ukraine's mineral industry. Trump and Zelenskiy sat down for talks in the Oval Office as Kyiv seeks to bolster U.S. support and Trump opens talks with Moscow. Zelenskiy, who has billions of dollars in U.S. arms and moral support from the Biden administration for his war on Russia, faces a stark contrast from Trump. Trump wants to end the three-year war, improve relations with Russia and recoup...
The Federal Reserve's preferred gauge of inflation over the past 12 months moved lower in January, marking modest progress toward the central bank's 2% target, the Commerce Department said Friday. The personal-consumption-expenditures price index increased by 0.3% month over month in January, putting its 12-month rise at 2.5%. That is down from 2.6% in December.The core PCE price index, which excludes volatile food and energy costs increased by 0.3% last month as well. Its 12-month increase declined to 2.6%, from a revised 2.9% a month earlier.Both numbers landed close to Wall Street...
Core consumer prices in Japan's capital rose 2.2% in February from a year earlier, data showed on Friday, slowing for the first time in four months but remaining well above the central bank's 2% target.The persistently high inflation will likely support the case for the central bank to continue its monetary policy tightening campaign.The increase in the core consumer price index (CPI), which excludes volatile fresh food costs, was slower than a median market forecast of 2.3% and a 2.5% gain in January.A separate index that strips away the effects of both fresh food and fuel costs, closely...
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....