Renewed tensions between the United States and Russia have resurfaced following an incident involving an oil tanker, sparking market concerns about potential disruptions to global energy supplies. Washington's move, associated with tightening oversight and enforcement of sanctions on Russian oil shipments, is viewed by Moscow as provocative and could worsen relations between the two countries. Russia views these actions as an attempt by the United States to suppress Russian energy exports and strengthen its dominance in the global oil market. Meanwhile, Washington argues that these measures...
The dollar was poised for its first monthly gain of the year against major currencies on Thursday, underpinned by easing trade tensions and U.S. economic resilience. In a widely expected move, the Bank of Japan on Thursday kept short-term interest rates steady at 0.5% by a unanimous vote, but revised up its inflation forecasts for the next few years. That came after the U.S. Federal Reserve left interest rates unchanged on Wednesday, ignoring persistent calls by President Donald Trump to lower borrowing costs. Fed Chair Jerome Powell also indicated he was in no rush to cut rates. The...
Gold rose, reversing some of the previous session's losses as traders reduced their bets on a September interest rate cut from the US Federal Reserve. Bullion rose 0.7% to trade near $3,299 an ounce, following a decline in the dollar after Fed Chairman Jerome Powell announced that interest rates would be held steady. "There's still a lot of uncertainty to be resolved," Powell said in a post-meeting press conference. "It doesn't feel like we're that close to the end of that process." Traders reduced the probability of a September rate cut to less than 50% after Powell's remarks. Higher...
Oil prices held gains this week as traders grappled with President Donald Trump's threat to impose punitive tariffs on Russian energy buyers. West Texas Intermediate crude oil prices were little changed on Thursday, but closed at a six-week high the day before. The US president said he would impose tariffs on Indian exports and penalties on its energy purchases from Russia starting August 1, the latest in a series of comments in which he expressed anger over the lack of a ceasefire in Ukraine. While the market impact of a disruption in Indian purchases could be significant, as Moscow would...
Gold prices rose more than 1% on Thursday (July 31st), pulling away from a one-month low hit in the previous session, as a weaker dollar and the announcement of new US tariffs boosted demand for the safe-haven asset. Spot gold rose 1.1% to $3,312.03 an ounce, as of 06:12 GMT. The bullion had hit its lowest level since June 30th at $3,267.79 on Wednesday. US gold futures rose 0.4% to $3,309. The dollar weakened from a two-month low, making gold cheaper for holders of other currencies. "We had some significant declines in gold prices yesterday around the release of the FOMC statement and the...
Oil prices were little changed on Thursday (July 31st) as investors weighed supply risks stemming from US President Donald Trump's push for a swift resolution to the war in Ukraine through additional tariffs, while a surprise increase in US crude stockpiles weighed on prices. Brent crude futures for September, which expire on Thursday, rose 4 cents, or 0.05%, to $73.28 a barrel at 08:12 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude for September also rose 4 cents, or 0.06%, to $70.04. Both benchmarks rose 1% on Wednesday. "We're looking for more clarity on the nature of any new tariffs or...
Asian stock markets fell in unison on Thursday, following Wall Street's decline. A brief rally in tech stocks led by Nvidia quickly faded, prompting investors to turn away from riskier assets like...
European stock indices closed marginally lower on Wednesday as equities took a breather from their recent strong momentum, while investors continued to assess the outlook for the ECB's policy this...
The upcoming Supreme Court ruling on the legality of President Donald Trump's massive tariffs, which rocked markets in April, is one of the next major tests for US stocks and bonds.
Equity markets...