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 Australian dollar (AUD) extended its gains for the second straight session on Tuesday (3/25). However, the AUD/USD pair faces downward pressure amid a stronger US dollar (USD). Strong S&P Services PMI data and cautious comments from the Fed likely fueled the greenback's gains. The AUD is supported as investors anticipate the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) to leave rates unchanged in April, following its first rate cut in four years in February. Additionally, expectations of Chinese stimulus continue to bolster the Australian economy, given the strong trade ties between the two...
Gold consolidated early in the Asian session, but may be weighed down by easing concerns over U.S. tariffs that have dented the precious metal's appeal as a safe haven. President Trump said overnight that he may soften the reciprocal tariffs he plans to impose on U.S. trading partners next month, and that some countries may be exempted. "Gold looks quite pressured," given its recent rally through the $3,000/oz level, Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst at City Index and FOREX.com, said in an email. "A long-overdue cooling-off period may be in the offing," the analyst added. Spot gold was little...
Oil prices rose after President Donald Trump threatened to punish any country that buys crude from Venezuela, raising concerns about a potential tightening of global supplies. West Texas Intermediate crude was trading above $69 a barrel after rising 1.2% on Monday, while Brent settled at $73. Trump has vowed to impose 25% tariffs on buyers of the South American nation's oil and gas on April 2, which could cut off supplies to refiners in China, India, Spain and the U.S. Trump's trade policies and retaliatory actions have led to increased volatility across global markets, with benchmark...
Japanese Yen (JPY) is underperforming most major currencies and USD/JPY is up near technical resistance at 150.00, BBH's FX analysts report. BoJ is unlikely to tighten the policy by more than is currently priced"Private sector activity in Japan deteriorated in March. The composite PMI fell from a six-month high of 52.0 in February to 48.5 in March, to signal a renewed reduction in business activity. The services PMI fell to a three-year low at 49.5 vs. 53.7 in February and the manufacturing PMI plunged to a multi-year low at 48.5 vs. 52.0 in February." "Meanwhile, Japan Finance Minister...
USD/CHF extends its winning streak for the fourth consecutive session, trading near 0.8840 during Asian hours on Monday. The pair gains as the US Dollar (USD) recovers its daily losses, supported by rising Treasury yields amid a hawkish tone surrounding the Federal Reserve (Fed). Last week, Fed Chair Jerome Powell noted, "Labor market conditions are solid, and inflation has moved closer to our 2% longer-run goal, though it remains somewhat elevated." The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the USD against six major currencies, continues to rise, hovering around 104.10. Meanwhile, yields...
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the value of the US Dollar against a basket of currencies, held its upward momentum on Monday, tallying a four-day recovery. Strong S&P Services PMI as well as caution from Atlanta Federal Reserve President Raphael Bostic is benefiting the buck.US Dollar rises as economic signals clash with Fed cautionS&P Global Composite PMI rose sharply, showing improved economic momentum in March, led by robust service sector growth.Manufacturing PMI disappointed, slipping into contraction territory below 50 and falling short of market...
The AUD/USD pair edged higher on Monday, with the pair moving closer to the 0.6300 handle after bouncing off last week's lows around 0.6260. The recovery came during the American session amid increased optimism over a potential moderation in upcoming US tariff policy, supportive Chinese measures, and a solid set of Australian PMI data. Despite a still-firm US Dollar, AUD/USD managed to maintain mild gains, although technical indicators point to capped upside, particularly with the pair held below its 20-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) and momentum readings still in negative territory. The...
Gold price extended its drop for the third consecutive trading day as sentiment improved on news that reciprocal tariffs would be focused on some United States (US) trading partners. At the time of writing, XAU/USD trades at $3,002, down 0.67%. Wall Street trades on a positive mood, edging higher. The rise of US Treasury bond yields and broad US Dollar (USD) strength kept Bullion prices from prolonging its rally, with the yellow metal gaining over 13% in the year.An article by Bloomberg showed that the US President Donald Trump administration would target specific countries on April 2,...
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....