The U.S. dollar drifted lower Thursday on growing expectations of further interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year, while signs of French political accord helped the euro. At 04:45 ET (08:45 GMT), the Dollar Index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six other currencies, traded 0.2% lower to 98.342, headed for a weekly decline of 0.3%. More Fed cuts ahead?Market participants are becoming increasingly convinced that the U.S. central bank will follow last month's interest rate cut with more monetary easing as data points to growth slowing in the world's largest...
Gold (XAU/USD) continues to backslide from its record high, eventually finding support at $2,724 early on Tuesday and bouncing back to regain the $2,740s. A marginally weaker US Dollar (USD) due to uncertainty over the US presidential election result is aiding Gold in its rebound, since the precious metal is mostly priced and traded in USD. This comes as markets increasingly view the final result of the election as polarizing for the US currency, with a victory for Republican nominee Donald Trump USD-bullish but the opposite for Democrat nominee Kamala Harris. Gold rises from safety flows...
Gold futures rise 0.1% to $2,749.0 a troy ounce. The precious metal had set a fresh all-time high of at $2,801.80 per ounce at the end of October, followed by a small sell-off. Gold stands out as the commodity of choice for hedging the upcoming U.S. elections, JPMorgan analysts say in a note. A Kamala Harris victory would suggest policy continuity and trend-like growth while a Donald Trump win could lead to significant policy changes, JPM says. Bullion could therefore see further upside on market uncertainty, should Republicans sweep the election under Trump. Gold should remain supported on...
The Pound Sterling (GBP) trades broadly unchanged against its major peers, with investors focusing on the Bank of England's (BoE) policy meeting on Thursday. The BoE is expected to cut interest rates by 25 basis points (bps) to 4.75%. This would be the second interest rate cut of the year. Seven Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) members are expected to vote for further policy easing, while the remaining two will likely support keeping rates steady. BoE external member Catherine Mann is expected to be one of two members who would vote to keep interest rates at their current levels. In a panel...
Oil prices traded in a narrow range on Tuesday ahead of what is expected to be an exceptionally close U.S. presidential election, after rising more than 2% in the previous session as OPEC+ delayed plans to hike production in December. Brent crude futures ticked up 14 cents, or 0.19%, to $75.22 a barrel by 0400 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $71.6 a barrel, up 13 cents, or 0.18%. "We are now in the calm before the storm," IG market analyst Tony Sycamore said. Oil prices were supported by Sunday's announcement from the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries...
The dollar index traded around 103.9 on Tuesday, holding onto losses from the previous session as uncertainty over the outcome of the US presidential election led traders to unwind some of their "Trump trade" positions. Recent polls suggest a tighter race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump than initially expected, with market attention also focused on which party controls Congress, as a sweep could trigger significant changes in spending and tax policies. On the monetary policy front, the Federal Reserve is widely anticipated to announce a more cautious 25-basis-point rate cut on...
Oil edges lower in the Asian morning session due to a possible technical correction. Oil futures closed sharply higher Monday after members of OPEC+ said they would wait another month before starting to unwind 2.2 million barrels a day in production cuts. While the move may temporarily bolster oil prices, the U.S. presidential election is a critical factor in determining oil price trends, XS.com's Rania Gule says in an email. Investors are closely watching, as the economic policies of the new U.S. administration will directly affect global oil demand, the senior market analyst...
Gold prices are flat in early Asian trade on cautious mood ahead of the U.S. election later today and the Fed's rate decision this week, ANZ Research analysts say. Latest polls suggest a possible Harris win will weigh on the dollar and provide some support for the precious metal, they say. Meanwhile, the Fed is widely expected to lower rates when it meets later this week. Citi analysts point out that gold has historically unperformed following the U.S. elections due to fading hedging demand. However, Citi believes "the structural gold bull market remains intact and recommend buying into...
Oil futures finished sharply higher Monday after members of OPEC+ - made up of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies - said they would wait yet another month before beginning to unwind 2.2 million barrels a day in production cuts. Natural-gas prices, meanwhile, posted a gain of more than 4%, buoyed by an intensifying weather system, currently referred to as Tropical Depression 18, that may be heading to the Gulf of Mexico, putting oil-and-gas infrastructure at risk. West Texas Intermediate crude CL00 for December delivery CL.1 CLZ24 rose $1.98, or nearly...
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....