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...
The number of Americans filing for unemployment benefits fell to 220,000 in the week ended Dec. 15, 2024. That was down from the 229,000 estimate and from the previous weekly reading of 242,000, the Labor Department said Thursday (12/19). Source: @Newsmaker23
The Bank of England left the benchmark bank rate steady at 4.75% during its December 2024 meeting, in line with market expectations, as CPI inflation, wage growth and some indicators of inflation expectations had risen, adding to the risk of inflation persistence. However, three policymakers preferred to reduce the bank rate by 25bps to 4.5% on the back of sluggish demand and a weakening labour market. The central bank reinforced that a gradual approach to removing monetary policy restraint remains appropriate and that monetary policy will need to continue to remain restrictive for...
EUR/USD surged closer to 1.0400 during the European session on Thursday as the US Dollar (USD) strength took a breather after Wednesday's sharp rally. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, held gains near a fresh two-year high above 108.00. The greenback drew significant bids after the Federal Reserve (Fed) cut its key lending rate by 25 basis points (bps) to 4.25%-4.50% on Wednesday, as expected, but signaled fewer rate cuts for next year. In the latest dot chart, the Fed revised its projection for the number of interest rate cuts...
The United Kingdom (UK) Consumer Price Index (CPI) edged higher by 2.6% on a yearly basis in November after recording a 2.3% growth in October, according to the data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) on Wednesday. Data aligned with the market forecast of 2.6% and stayed well above the Bank of England's (BoE) 2.0% target. Core CPI (excluding volatile food and energy items) rose by 3.5% YoY in November, compared to a 3.3% increase in October while missing the market consensus of 3.6%. The UK November Services CPI inflation stayed unchanged at 5.0% YoY in November.The UK...
Retail sales rose faster than expected at the start of the holiday shopping season in November, pointing to steady growth in the U.S. economy. Sales at U.S. retailers rose 0.7% last month, the government said Tuesday. Retail sales account for about a third of all consumer spending and provide clues to the strength of the economy. What they do show is that the U.S. is ending 2024 on a strong note. Economists surveyed by the Wall Street Journal had forecast a 0.5% gain last month. Key details: Sales of new cars and trucks jumped 2.6% in November to lead the retail gain. Auto sales account...
Inflation in the US, as measured by the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), rose to 2.7% on a yearly basis in November from 2.6% in October, the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) reported on Wednesday. This reading came in line with the market expectation. On a monthly basis, the CPI rose 0.3% following the 0.2% increase recorded in October. The core CPI, which excludes volatile food and energy prices, rose 3.3% on a yearly basis to match October's increase and analysts' estimate. The monthly core CPI rose 0.3% in November. Market reaction to US inflation data These figures don't...
The US Consumer Price Index (CPI) report for November, a key measure of inflation, is due out on Wednesday at 13:30 GMT by the Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS). Markets are eagerly awaiting the release, as it could trigger significant swings in the US Dollar (USD) and influence the Federal Reserve's (Fed) plans for interest rates in the coming months. As per the CPI measure, US inflation is expected to rise at an annualized rate of 2.7% in November, slightly higher than the 2.6% growth reported in the previous month. Annual core CPI inflation, which excludes volatile food and energy...
President-elect Donald Trump has already signaled that trade tariffs are likely to form part of his political agenda, but against concerns that a tit-for-tat U.S.-EU trade spat could threaten a fresh wave of inflation, Citi argues that tariffs may prove deflationary in the Eurozone at a time when the economy is in the doldrums. "Even if the EU retaliates like-for-like with reciprocal tariffs, the HICP impact is likely negligible," Citi economists said in a recent note. Imports from the U.S. make up just over 10% of euro area goods imports, a quarter of which is energy but this is unlikely...
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....