Crude futures recover more of last week's losses as continued fighting between Russia and Ukraine keep alive expectations of greater U.S. sanctions and supply disruptions. An Israeli air strike targeting the Hamas leadership in Qatar also raises geopolitical risk in the Middle East, Jorge Leon, Rystad's head of geopolitical analysis, says in a note. "Recent diplomatic initiatives led by the U.S. and Qatar have been dealt a major setback," he says. Much could depend on the response of Qatar, a close U.S. ally and Gulf Cooperation Council member, he adds. "Any fallout could amplify tensions...
Silver price (XAG/USD) extends its gains for the third successive day, trading around $29.60 per troy ounce during the Asian hours on Friday. This sustained rally is attributed to strong safe-haven demand amid persistent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the prolonged Russia-Ukraine conflict. Axios referenced three sources, indicating that US President Joe Biden reportedly explored contingency plans to target Iran's nuclear facilities if Tehran advanced significantly in developing a nuclear bomb before Donald Trump's inauguration on January 20. These talks underscore the growing...
The Australian Dollar (AUD) extends its gains for the second successive session against the US Dollar (USD) on Friday. The AUD gained support following a Financial Times report stating that the People's Bank of China (PBoC) expects an interest rate cut this year at an appropriate time. As close trade partners, any fluctuations in China's economy tend to impact Australian markets. The AUD/USD pair appreciates as the Australian Dollar recovers from two-year lows as stronger commodity prices provide support, particularly Oil and Gold, benefiting Australia's position as a major exporter of...
A gauge of the dollar weakened for the first time in eight sessions before ISM manufacturing data that's likely to provide more clues on the health of the US economy. Bloomberg Dollar Spot Index slipped 0.1%, with Australia and New Zealand's currencies leading gains against the greenback. "Dollar is getting marginally sold in thin trading as traders try not to over-read markets ahead of ISM," said Christopher Wong, strategist at Oversea-Chinese Banking Corp. "Apart from the small selloff this morning, the dollar remains broadly firmer, with the DXY above 109...
Gold edged up on Friday on a softer U.S. dollar and safe haven flows, with the metal en-route for a weekly gain as attention turned to U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's proposed policy changes that could influence the economic and interest rate outlook going forward. Spot gold was up 0.2% at $2,661.19 per ounce, as of 0257 GMT, hitting its highest level since Dec. 13. Bullion is up about 1.6% for the week so far. U.S. gold futures rose 0.2% to $2,675.40. The dollar index DXY fell 0.2%, making dollar-priced bullion more affordable for holders of other currencies. "We have seen an...
Gold was on track for its biggest weekly gain since November, as broad risk-off sentiment buoyed demand for haven assets. Bullion was trading near $2,660 an ounce after climbing 1.3% on Thursday, with investors monitoring increasing concerns over near-term volatility in stock markets. The Cboe's VIX Index climbed for the fourth time in five days, helping to underscore the appeal of safe assets such as gold. Meanwhile, a pair of deadly attacks in the US this week further compounded market angst, sparking domestic security concerns ahead of Donald Trump's official return...
Oil headed for a second weekly gain as US crude stockpiles continued to fall and as futures breached a key technical threshold. West Texas Intermediate traded above $73 a barrel after rising 2% on Thursday to the highest level since mid-October. Brent closed near $76. US nationwide inventories dropped for a sixth straight week, and stockpiles remain well below the five-year seasonal average. Oil has broken out of a narrow range it's been trading in since the mid-October, with a move by both benchmarks above their 100-day moving average leading to algorithmic buying. The outlook...
The USD/CHF pair continues to decline from its seven-month high of 0.9080, as the US Dollar Index (DXY) hovers near 108.30 after retreating from a multi-year high of 108.58 reached on Tuesday. During European trading hours on Thursday, the USD/CHF pair trades around 0.9050.Traders will likely observe the US weekly Initial Jobless Claims and S&P Global Manufacturing PMI for December, scheduled to be released later in the North American session.However, the downside of the US Dollar could be limited by growing expectations that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) will adopt a slow and cautious...
Gold (XAU/USD) prices extended intraday gains near $2,650 in the North American open on Thursday after the New Year holiday. The precious metal gained as its appeal as a safe-haven asset increased, with investors focused on President-elect Donald Trump taking office on January 20. Trump's expected incoming policies, such as higher import tariffs and lower taxes, would be a boon for Gold. Higher import tariffs would lead to a potential global trade war and lower taxes would increase inflationary pressures in the United States (US). Gold tends to outperform amid economic uncertainty as a...
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....