Gold prices briefly caused a stir after hitting a new record, but then slowed. The main trigger: US President Donald Trump withheld the threat of tariffs on Europe and claimed there was a "framework" for a future agreement on Greenland. This calmer tone made the market a little more willing to take risks, thus easing the pressure to buy gold as a safe haven. However, the big picture hasn't changed: gold remains in high territory because the world remains filled with uncertainty. Trade wars could resurface at any time, geopolitical tensions haven't completely subsided, and investors are...
Oil prices fell on Tuesday (December 16), adding to the previous session's losses, as prospects for a Russia-Ukraine peace deal appeared to strengthen, raising expectations of potential sanctions relief. Brent crude futures fell 89 cents, or about 1.5%, to $59.67 per barrel at 0942 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude traded at $55.90 per barrel, down 92 cents, or 1.6%. Both contracts are near their lowest levels since May of this year. "Brent has fallen this morning to below $60 per barrel for the first time in months, as the market assesses the potential for a peace deal that...
The US Dollar Index (DXY) moved in negative territory and fell slightly to around 98.25 at the start of the European session on Tuesday. This weakening occurred as market participants adopted a wait-and-see approach ahead of the release of a series of US economic data, particularly the delayed November jobs report. The market's primary focus is on today's release of the October and November Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP). If the data shows a slowing labor market, expectations of a Fed interest rate cut could strengthen, which would typically weaken the dollar. Conversely, if the results are...
The USD/CHF currency pair fell on December 16, 2025, amid continued US dollar weakness in global markets. The dollar briefly approached a two-month low as investors awaited key economic data from the US, including the pending employment report, as well as more dovish or moderate policy signals from the Federal Reserve. This pressure on the dollar strengthened the Swiss franc relative to the USD, causing USD/CHF to fall below the psychological level of around 0.80. Furthermore, the Swiss National Bank's (SNB) decision to maintain interest rates at 0% without major changes also supported the...
The US dollar weakened early in the Asian session on Tuesday, falling to a near two-month low as markets awaited the release of a slew of economic data—particularly the delayed US November jobs report. The dollar index fell 0.2% to 98.261, near its lowest level since October 17, while October-November jobs data was only recently released after being delayed during the US government shutdown. HSBC analysts said this data is crucial for "closing the story" about labor conditions during the shutdown. The market is also still assessing the direction of the Fed's interest rate: Fed funds...
Silver prices remained high on December 16, 2025, despite a slight correction in global markets after last week's significant surge. Spot silver fell by around 2-3% from its record high above US$64 per ounce due to profit-taking, but overall, the metal remained near its all-time high. This decline occurred amidst a weakening US dollar, which had previously boosted precious metal prices, and volatile trading conditions. Fundamentally, silver continues to be driven by a structural imbalance between demand and supply. Global industrial demand—particularly for clean technologies like solar...
The USD/JPY pair weakened to around 155.10 at the start of the Asian session on Tuesday. The yen strengthened slowly as markets became increasingly confident that the Bank of Japan (BoJ) would raise interest rates at its policy meeting on Friday, increasing pressure on the dollar. Market bets on a BoJ interest rate hike are growing. Reuters reports that the BoJ is likely to remain committed to continuing to raise interest rates, but the pace will depend on the Japanese economy's response. In a Reuters survey (December 2–9), 90% of economists predicted the BoJ would raise the short-term...
Oil prices remain near their lowest levels since 2021, as traders assess the impact of a potential ceasefire in Ukraine. If the war subsides, the path could open to easing restrictions on Russian oil imports—even though the global market is already oversupplied. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) is trading around $57 per barrel after closing at a more than four-year low on Monday. Brent crude also weakened, closing below $61. US President Donald Trump said a deal to end the Russia-Ukraine war is "closer than ever" after talks with Ukrainian President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European...
Gold prices tended to be stable at the start of the Asian session, as market participants held their breath awaiting the November US employment report (Nonfarm Payrolls), which will be released today. For now, the spot gold price is barely changing at around $4,306.60 per ounce. According to Fawad Razaqzada, a market analyst at FOREX.com, the market is currently expecting only around 50,000 new jobs. At the same time, the unemployment rate is predicted to rise to 4.5%, which could signal a slowing US economy. If the results are weaker than expected (a downside surprise), the market could...
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....