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...
The USD/JPY pair climbs to near 149.65 during the early Asian session on Monday. The Japanese Yen (JPY) faces some selling pressure against the Greenback after a ruling-party vote for Sanae Takaichi to become Japan's next Prime Minister. Reuters reported on Sunday that Japan's ruling party elected Sanae Takaichi as its new leader on Saturday, positioning the 64-year-old to become Japan's first female Prime Minister. A vote in parliament to replace outgoing Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is scheduled for October 15. Takaichi is favoured as the ruling coalition has the largest number of...
Gold prices hit a new record early this week, hitting $3,920 per ounce on Monday, October 6, 2025, before a slight correction. This surge fueled investor concerns over the ongoing US government shutdown. This uncertainty prompted a massive outflow of funds into safe-haven assets like gold. The shutdown also caused the postponement of US employment data, which was scheduled for release last Friday, further clouding the picture of the US economy. With crucial data withheld, investors grew wary, and precious metals became a prime choice for hedging. So far this year, gold has risen nearly 50%...
OPEC+ is once again playing it cautiously. For the second consecutive month, the world's largest oil producer group only increased supply by 137,000 barrels per day—a figure significantly lower than market expectations. Although Saudi Arabia and Russia initially disagreed, this decision indicates they are still trying to maintain a balance between maintaining prices and regaining market share. But the move comes at a less than ideal time. The global oil market is becoming oversupplied, with oil reserves continuing to grow and global demand predicted to slow. According to the International...
Oil headed for the biggest weekly loss since late June as traders positioned for a key OPEC+ decision on supply this weekend. Brent futures edged marginally higher on Friday, but were still trading below $65 a barrel and set for a weekly slump of about 8%. Prices have declined the past four days on the expectation OPEC+ will discuss fast-tracking more supply hikes. Meanwhile, efforts by the Trump administration to keep oil exports flowing from northern Iraq, as well as a US government shutdown, have added to the bearish sentiment. The OPEC+ meeting comes as...
The dollar headed for its worst week since late July on Friday (October 3rd) as the US government shutdown heightened uncertainty, while the yen weakened from this week's high as traders considered the Bank of Japan's next move ahead of this weekend's ruling party leadership election. The dollar index, which measures the greenback against a basket of major currencies, was flat at 97.77. The euro rose 0.2% to $1.1736. The pound sterling strengthened 0.1% to $1.345. "The government shutdown in the US is having an impact on market participants, meaning we're not getting the data we normally...
Gold prices held steady on Friday (October 3), poised for a seventh consecutive weekly gain, driven by expectations of further US interest rate cuts and concerns over the economic impact of a prolonged government shutdown. Spot gold rose 0.03% to $3,857.25 an ounce at 09:21 GMT, after hitting a record high of $3,896.49 on Thursday. Bullion has gained 2.6% so far this week. US gold futures for December delivery rose 0.32% to $3,880.50 an ounce. The prolonged US government shutdown, now in its third day since Friday, has delayed key economic data, including the non-farm payrolls report...
Oil prices edged higher on Friday but remained on course for a weekly loss of about 7-8% after news of potential increases to OPEC+ supply. Brent crude futures gained 43 cents, or 0.67%, to $64.54 a barrel by 0826 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up 46 cents, or 0.76%, at $60.94. For the week, Brent was trading 8% down and WTI was on course for a 7.3% decline. "We are in a wait-and-see mode for what the OPEC+ Group of Eight will decide over the weekend," said UBS analyst Giovanni Staunovo, adding that Friday's modest price recovery is likely to be attributable to positive risk...
Silver slipped below $47 per ounce on Friday but remained on track for a seventh consecutive weekly gain, supported by expectations of further US rate cuts and uncertainty from the government shutdown. Recent US data reinforced bets on more easing, with markets nearly fully pricing in a 25 basis point cut this month and another by December. Politically, the shutdown has so far shown limited direct impact, though it heightened concerns over fiscal policy, inflation risks and labor market weakness. It also triggered a data blackout, forcing the Labor Department to postpone Friday's September...
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....