The US dollar weakened on Friday after a surge in jobless claims and a moderate rise in inflation made markets increasingly confident that the Fed would cut interest rates next week—and possibly further thereafter. The dollar index stood at 97.585, heading for a second straight weekly decline after snapping a two-day rally on Thursday.Thursday's data showed the largest weekly increase in jobless claims in four years, overshadowing the August CPI release, which rose the fastest in seven months but remained moderate and in line with expectations. Some market participants called the current...
AUD/USD drifts higher to near 0.6370 in Monday's early Asian session, adding 0.25% on the day. China vowed to adopt more targeted measures to stimulate consumer spending, supporting the Aussie. Renewed trade tensions could boost the US dollar and cap the upside for the pair. The AUD/USD pair edges higher to near 0.6370 during the early Asian session on Monday. The Australian Dollar (AUD) attracts some buyers as the Chinese government announced rural revitalisation plans in its annual policy blueprint. According to the State Council's annual rural policy blueprint, China will intensify rural...
Gold traded just shy of last week's all-time high as unexpectedly weak economic data and rising expectations for inflation helped boost haven demand. Bullion was around $2,937 an ounce, after notching its eighth weekly gain — the longest run since 2020. Gains have been supported by a sharp increase in demand for bullion-backed exchange-traded funds, with holdings last week jumping the most since 2022. Reports on Friday showed US business activity slowed, consumer confidence waned and expectations for inflation surged. The Federal Reserve's Chicago President Austan...
Gold touches all-time high of $2,954 amid trade policy uncertainty.Trump expands tariffs to lumber and soft commodities, adding market jitters.US data mixed: Manufacturing PMI improves, but Services PMI contracts.Gold price slides late on Friday, poised to end the week positively, accumulating eight straight weeks of gains that pushed the yellow metal to all-time highs of $2,954. At the time of writing, the XAU/USD trades at $2,940, down 0.15%. The financial markets' narrative has not changed as US President Donald Trump continues with rhetoric related to tariffs. In addition to imposing...
Gold prices fell on Friday as investors booked profits from the previous session's record high, but were set for an eighth straight weekly gain, boosted by strong safe-haven demand amid concerns over U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff plans. Spot gold fell 0.1% to $2,935.75 an ounce. Bullion is up about 1.7% this week after rising to a record $2,954.69 on Thursday. U.S. gold futures fell 0.2% to $2,950.30. "It's just a classic move of new record highs and profit-taking… (but) the fundamentals of gold remain solid," said Alex Ebkarian, chief operating officer at Allegiance Gold. Gold...
Oil prices fell more than $2 a barrel on Friday, posting a weekly decline as investors grappled with fading Middle East risk premiums along with uncertainty about a potential peace deal in Ukraine. Brent crude futures fell $2.05, or 2.68%, to settle at $74.43 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell $2.08, or 2.87%, to settle at $70.40. Brent crude futures fell 0.4% for the week, while U.S. crude futures posted a weekly loss of 0.5%. "There's a risk-off sentiment here," said John Kilduff, a partner at Again Capital in New York, who also cited relative calm in the Middle...
Silver (XAG/USD) prices faced selling pressure above the key $33.00 level during North American trading hours on Friday (21/2). The white metal declined as the US Dollar (USD) strengthened, with Federal Reserve (Fed) officials continuing to point to restrictive monetary policies. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback against a basket of six major currencies, rose near 106.75. On Thursday, Fed Governor Adriana Kugler said that the central bank should keep lending rates "steady" for "some time," noting that the net effect of US President Donald Trump's new economic policies is...
Oil prices fell on Friday, but were on course to secure a weekly gain, as traders eyed supply chain disruptions in Russia and a drawdown in U.S. gasoline and distillate stockpiles. Brent oil futures had fallen by 0.8% to $75.86 per barrel as of 08:05 ET (13:05 GMT), while West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures had slipped by 0.9% to $71.85 per barrel. Oil prices rose this week as the Caspian Pipeline Consortium (CPC), a major route for Kazakh oil exports, reduced flows by 30-40% after a Ukrainian drone hit Russia's Kropotkinskaya pumping station. Meanwhile, Russia escalated attacks...
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the performance of the US Dollar (USD) against six major currencies, pushes back on its recent decline and trades slightly below 107.00 at the time of writing on Friday. The Greenback claws back ahead of the United States (US) preliminary Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) data release for February. European data released earlier in the day already revealed a further slowdown in the economic activity in Europe. The US economic calendar finally offers some data releases that might move the Greenback. The preliminary S&P Global Services PMI for...
Gold (XAU/USD) is extending its decline on Wednesday for a second consecutive day as the US Dollar (USD) and US Treasury yields firm ahead of the release of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC)...
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....