Gold rises in the early Asian trade. Its recent surge past $3,600/oz reflects investor demand for safe-haven assets due to deepening global economic and geopolitical uncertainty, Sean Hoey, managing director of IBV International Vaults London writes in a note. There has been a sharp rise in demand for physical precious metals which are insulated from broader market volatility, Hoey adds.Spot gold is 0.3% higher at $3,633.87/oz. Source: Bloomberg
The Japanese yen weakened toward 148 per dollar on Monday (August 4), weakening after the previous session's gains as investors reassessed the direction of US Federal Reserve policy. Although a weak US jobs report on Friday reinforced expectations of a near-term interest rate cut, Fed officials remained cautious, citing inflation risks associated with President Trump's massive tariffs. The dollar strengthened again as sentiment shifted, pressuring the yen. Meanwhile, markets awaited the minutes of the Bank of Japan's latest policy meeting for clues on the timing of a potential interest rate...
The Australian Dollar (AUD) strengthened against the US Dollar (USD) on Monday (August 4), extending its gains for the second consecutive trading day. The AUD/USD pair strengthened following the release of Australian inflation gauge data. The TD-MI Inflation Gauge rose 0.9% month-on-month in July, following a modest 0.1% increase in June and marking the sharpest increase since December 2023. Meanwhile, the annual inflation gauge remained consistent at 2.4%. This monthly increase adds to the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) concerns amid ongoing uncertainty in supply chains and consumer...
The EUR/USD currency pair fell near 1.1550 in early trading on Monday, despite market reactions to the prospect of an interest rate cut by the Federal Reserve. This decline occurred after the euro had strengthened by around 1.5% in the previous session. The strengthening of the US dollar was the main driver of the euro's weakness, following the currency's recovery from losses suffered following the release of disappointing US employment data. US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) data in July showed an increase of only 73,000 jobs, well below the 110,000 expected. The previous month's figure was also...
Gold edged lower early in the Asian session on a technical correction after gold futures closed nearly 1.7% higher last Friday. However, gold's decline may have been limited by rising expectations of a Fed rate cut, which has strengthened the appeal of the non-yielding precious metal. Friday's employment data "was clearly a warning," said Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst at City Index and FOREX.com, in an email. "The Fed's dual mandate includes employment, and this data shows weakness. Fed pessimists are circling," the analyst added. Spot gold fell 0.1% to $3,356.81/oz. (alg) Source: Dow...
Oil prices slumped in early Asian trading on Monday (August 4th), after OPEC+ agreed to another large production increase in September. Brent crude fell 43 cents, or 0.62%, to $69.24 a barrel at 22:18 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was at $66.94 a barrel, down 39 cents, or 0.58%, after both contracts closed about $2 a barrel lower on Friday. OPEC+ agreed on Sunday to increase oil production by 547,000 barrels per day for September, the latest in a series of accelerated production increases to regain market share amid growing concerns over potential supply disruptions linked...
The Australian Dollar (AUD) remains under pressure against the US Dollar (USD) on Friday, giving back most of its earlier gains despite broad weakness in the Greenback following a disappointing Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) data. The AUD/USD initially surged nearly 70 pips after US jobs data surprised to the downside, but the momentum quickly faded as markets shifted focus to rising expectations of an interest rate cut by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) at its upcoming meeting on August 12. The dovish outlook is keeping the Aussie pinned near multi-week lows. At the time of writing, the...
Oil prices $2 a barrel on Friday because of jitters about a possible increase in production by OPEC and its allies, while a weaker-than-expected U.S. jobs report fed worries about demand. Brent crude futures settled at $69.67 a barrel, down $2.03, or 2.83%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude finished at $67.33 a barrel, down $1.93, or 2.79%. Brent finished the week with a gain near 6%, while WTI rose 6.29%. Three people familiar with discussions among OPEC members and allied producers said the group may reach an agreement as early as Sunday to boost production by 548,000 barrels per day...
The yen has suffered a difficult month, but BCA Research thinks the Japanese currency is primed for a multi-year rally. At 08:30 ET (12:30 GMT), USD/JPY traded 0.2% lower at Y150.49, having earlier in the session climbed as high as Y150.91, the Japanese currency's lowest level since March 28. However, BCA Research sees the potential for a sharp recovery, basing its bullish cyclical thesis for the yen rests on three pillars: valuations, balance of payments, and policy normalization. The bank's long-term valuation models are unequivocal: the yen is attractively priced, especially versus the...
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....