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) continued its gains for the second straight session against the US Dollar (USD) on Friday. The AUD gained support following a Financial Times report that the People's Bank of China (PBOC) is expecting a timely interest rate cut this year. As a close trading partner, any fluctuations in the Chinese economy are likely to affect the Australian market. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's state planner, expressed confidence in achieving a sustained economic recovery by 2025. In a statement on Friday, the agency highlighted plans to...
The US Dollar (USD) strengthened to start the new year as trading conditions returned to normal after the holiday season. The US economic calendar will feature the ISM Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) data for December later in the day. Investors will also be looking for comments from central bank officials. The USD Index rose more than 0.7% on Thursday and hit its highest level since November 2022 above 109.50. On Friday morning, the index retreated towards 109.00. The risk-averse market mood helped the USD outperform its rivals on the first trading day of the...
The EUR/USD pair halted its four-day losing streak, trading near 1.0270 during the Asian session on Friday. A review of the daily chart shows a persistent bearish bias, with the pair moving down within a descending channel pattern. The 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI), a key momentum indicator, is hovering near the 30 level, indicating oversold conditions and a possible upside correction in the near term. However, the nine-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) remains below the 14-day EMA, signaling weaker near-term price momentum and reinforcing the overall bearish sentiment. The...
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...
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....