Oil prices fell on Thursday (September 11), pressured by concerns over weakening US demand and a widespread oversupply, offsetting the threat to production from conflicts in the Middle East and Russia's war in Ukraine. Brent crude futures fell 86 cents, or 1.3%, to $66.63 per barrel at 12:40 GMT, while US West Texas Intermediate crude fell 89 cents, or 1.4%, to $62.78. "Oil prices fell today in response to the IEA's bearish headlines, which point to a massive oversupply in the oil market next year," said Commerzbank analyst Carsten Fritsch. The International Energy Agency (IEA) said in its...
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the performance of the US Dollar against six major currencies, is trading at 107.83 after the US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report. Once again, the rule of thumb proves that buying the rumor and selling the fact pays off. With market expectations too high, betting on a weaker result, a knee-jerk reaction occurred and prevented the DXY from falling below 107.35. The actual Nonfarm Payrolls data came in at 143,000, below the consensus of 170,000, compared to 256,000 in December. The range of estimates was between 105,000 at the low end and 240,000 at the...
The Pound (GBP) surrendered all its intraday gains against the US Dollar (USD) and fell back near 1.2400 in the North American session on Friday (7/2) after the release of the US (US) Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) data for January. The US NFP report showed that the economy added 143K workers in January, much lower than the 170K estimate and the previous reading of 307K, revised up from 256K. The Unemployment Rate slowed to 4% from the estimate and the previous reading of 4.1%. The Average Hourly Earnings data, a key measure of wage growth that drives consumer spending, surprisingly came in higher...
Oil futures rose on Friday from 2025 lows, but were on track for a third straight weekly decline amid rising U.S. inventories and concerns that higher U.S. tariffs on China would hurt growth and demand for crude. Price movement West Texas Intermediate crude for March delivery CL00 CL.1 CLH25 rose 52 cents, or 0.7%, to settle at $71.13 a barrel on the New York Mercantile Exchange, but was headed for a weekly decline of 1.9%. --Brent crude for April delivery BRN00 BRNJ25, the global benchmark, rose 55 cents, or 0.7%, to settle at $74.84 a barrel on ICE Futures Europe, on track for a weekly...
Gold futures rose, hovering just below their all-time high. Gold futures were up 0.55% at $2,892.50 an ounce, just shy of their all-time high of $2,906 set on Wednesday. Rather than the usual price drivers -- a strong U.S. dollar and interest rate expectations -- it was demand for safe-haven assets in turbulent political times that drove the rally, Commerzbank analysts said. This particularly reflects uncertainty surrounding President Trump's policies, they said in a note. A sharp rise in rental rates also points to tensions in the physical market. However, there are already signs of...
EUR/USD is steady in a tight range around 1.0400 during the European session on Friday (7/2) as the US Dollar (USD) trades cautiously ahead of the US (US) Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) data for January, due to be published at 13:30 GMT. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, is fluctuating around 107.80. Economists expect the US economy to have added 170,000 jobs, down from 256,000 in December. The Unemployment Rate is expected to remain steady at 4.1%. The official employment data is expected to drive market speculation about how long the...
The AUD/USD pair moved up in the European session on Friday (7/2) but continues to face pressure near 0.6300. The Australian currency pair moved sideways as investors await the US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) data for January, due to be published at 13:30 GMT. Market participants will be closely focused on the employment data, which will provide clues on how long the Federal Reserve (Fed) will keep interest rates steady between 4.25% and 4.50%. The US economy added 170,000 jobs last month, down from 256,000 in December, according to estimates. The Unemployment Rate is expected to remain steady...
Crude oil prices rose early Friday, but remain on track for a third straight week of declines as U.S. President Donald Trump's tariff announcements and a potential trade war with China weigh on the market. Brent crude gained 0.7% to US$74.81/barrel and West Texas Intermediate crude increased 0.7% to US$71.07/b at last look. Oil prices found some support from the U.S. Treasury's announcement of new sanctions on a few individuals and tankers helping to ship Iranian crude to China, Reuters said in a Friday report. "Oil prices saw some stability return this morning following a volatile...
Gold's price (XAU/USD) edges higher and trades back up near $2,865 at the time of writing on Friday after its rather sluggish performance the previous day. The pickup in the rally comes ahead of the US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report later in the day. A weaker number would benefit Gold, with rate cut odds from the Federal Reserve (Fed) increasing. Meanwhile, headlines emerged on Friday that China's central bank, the People's Bank of China (PBOC), has expanded its Gold reserves for a third month in a row. Even at fresh all-time high prices, the central bank bought roughly 0.16...
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....