Former U.S. President Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs on members of the BRICS group of nations on Friday, warning the alliance would quickly collapse if it ever becomes a significant economic force. "When I heard about this group from BRICS, six countries, basically, I hit them very, very hard. And if they ever really form in a meaningful way, it will end very quickly," Trump said without specifying which nations he was referring to. The BRICS group currently includes Brazil, Russia, India, China, South Africa, and has recently expanded to include other nations. In addition to...
Gold prices hit an all-time high on Wednesday as a weaker dollar, rising trade tensions and concerns over global economic growth boosted demand for safe-haven bullion. Spot gold rose 1.3% to $3,270.12 an ounce, as of 0319 GMT. It peaked at $3,275.20 an ounce earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures rose 1.4% to $3,286.30. "A combination of factors such as a weaker dollar and continued risk aversion are working in gold's favor," said Tim Waterer, chief market analyst at KCM Trade. The dollar index (.DXY), opens a new tab , fell 0.4% against its rivals, making gold more attractive to...
Silver (XAG/USD) prices moved higher after a recent decline, trading around $32.30 per troy ounce during the Asian session on Wednesday (4/16). The rise came as lingering uncertainty over US trade policy continued to fuel safe-haven demand for the precious metal. A weaker US Dollar (USD) also supported Silver prices, making the dollar-denominated asset more attractive to foreign buyers. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the Greenback against a basket of six major currencies, was trading lower near 99.80 at the time of writing. Market attention now turns to the upcoming US Retail...
The Australian dollar (AUD) continued its uptrend against the US dollar (USD) for the sixth straight session on Wednesday (16/4), with the AUD/USD pair holding firm after the release of the Westpac Leading Australia Index. The index's six-month annualized growth rate, which estimates economic momentum relative to trend over the next three to nine months, eased to 0.6% in March from 0.9% in February. China's economy grew at an annualized rate of 5.4% in the first quarter of 2025, matching the pace seen in Q4 2024 and beating market expectations of 5.1%. On a quarterly basis, GDP rose by 1.2%...
Oil prices were flat on Wednesday morning, as changes in U.S. trade policy fueled uncertainty as markets assessed the potential impact of the U.S.-China trade war on economic growth and energy demand. Brent crude futures rose 5 cents, or 0.1%, to $64.72 a barrel by 0039 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 3 cents, or 0.1%, to $61.36. Both benchmarks fell 0.3% on Tuesday. Global oil demand is expected to grow at its slowest rate in five years in 2025 and U.S. production growth is also set to ease, due to U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs on trading partners and...
The GBP/USD pair continued its uptrend that began on April 8, trading around 1.3250 during the Asian session on Wednesday (4/16). Earlier in the day, the pair touched a fresh six-month high of 1.3256. The pair has maintained its strong momentum, boosted by improving global risk sentiment after US President Donald Trump announced exemptions for major technology products from his new "reciprocal" tariffs. In the UK, labor market data showed on Tuesday that the unemployment rate held steady at 4.4% in February, in line with expectations. However, wage growth remained strong, maintaining...
China's official NBS Manufacturing PMI increased to 49.7 in June 2025 from May's 49.5, matching market expectations while marking the third consecutive month of contraction in factory activity.
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Both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 hovered around the flatline on Friday, as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of further developments in trade talks between US President Trump and Chinese...
President Donald Trump said Wednesday he plans to send a single letter to over 150 countries outlining the tariff rate they will face, saying, "It's all going to be the same for everyone, for that...