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...
The Pound Sterling (GBP) is dropping some 0.29% against the US Dollar (USD) on Friday, set to end the week unchanged after major central banks featured monetary policy decisions led by the Federal Reserve (Fed) and the Bank of England (BoE). At the time of writing, GBP/USD is trading at 1.2931 after hitting a daily peak of 1.2969. Sterling drops 0.29%, set to end the week flat after dovish Fed and BoE toneThe market mood remains downbeat, as depicted by United States (US) equities posting losses, while the Greenback remains bid. On Thursday, the BoE kept rates unchanged and said there is...
The USD/JPY pair gives up entire intraday gains after facing selling pressure around 149.60 and drops to near 148.60 during North American trading hours on Friday. The asset drops as the US Dollar (USD) gains, with the US Dollar Index (DXY) rising to near 104.00. The Greenback attracts bids as the Federal Reserve (Fed) is unlikely to cut interest rates in the near term. On Wednesday, Fed Chair Jerome Powell stated that they are not in a hurry to cut interest rates amid "unusually elevated" uncertainty over the United States (US) economic outlook under the leadership of President Donald...
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the performance of the US Dollar (USD) against a basket of six major currencies, extended its recovery and was trading around 104.00 at the time of writing on Friday (3/21). The DXY is trying to move away from a 2025 low of 103.20 hit on Tuesday, after the Financial Times reported that European countries are drawing up plans to take over responsibility for the continent's defense from the United States (US), including an offer to the Trump administration for a managed transfer over the next five to 10 years, which would reshape the North Atlantic...
Oil was little changed in the final trading session of the week as traders weighed the first U.S. sanctions on Chinese imports of Iranian crude against the uncertain outlook for global growth. Brent crude futures fell slightly below $72 a barrel, erasing earlier gains, while still posting their biggest weekly gain since January. The U.S. sanctioned a small Chinese refiner and its chief executive for allegedly buying Iranian oil, as well as a terminal operator. The market structure for Middle East crude firmed after the news. The Trump administration's first intervention in the Asian...
Gold (XAU/USD) is facing a second day of losses while its weekly performance is still positive. The precious metal is trading around $3,030 at the time of writing on Friday (3/21) after hitting a new all-time high of $3,057 the previous day. The move down should not come as a surprise given the Quadruple Witching event. Quadruple Witching is an event in the financial markets when four different sets of futures and options contracts expire on the same day, and investors must decide whether to sell and buy back their positions or simply sell them. Meanwhile, on the geopolitical front,...
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...