Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund, Danantara, plans to sign a USD 8 billion engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract with US engineering firm KBR Inc. to build 17 modular refineries, according to two sources familiar with the matter and an official presentation by the Economic Ministry, as reported by Reuters. The contract is part of a trade pact reached last week between Indonesia and the US, which resulted in a reduction of proposed US tariffs, from 32% down to 19%. Indonesia's Economic Minister, Airlangga Hartarto, who served as chief negotiator for the deal, revealed...
Gold price (XAU/USD) continues with its struggle to gain any meaningful traction during the Asian session on Monday and remains confined in a familiar range held over the past week or so. The downside, however, remains cushioned amid fears of a global trade conflict, which continues to offer support to the safe-haven bullion. Furthermore, the growing acceptance that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will cut interest rates multiple times this year, bolstered by Friday's weaker US jobs data, turns out to be another factor acting as a tailwind for the non-yielding yellow metal. Apart from this,...
Silver price (XAG/USD) extends its losing streak for a third consecutive session, trading around $32.40 per troy ounce during Asian hours on Monday. The prices of the grey metal depreciate as softer economic data from China fuel demand concerns. China's Producer Price Index (PPI) dropped 2.2% year-over-year, following a 2.3% decline in the previous two months. This represents the slowest contraction since August 2024 but highlights persistent deflationary pressures in China's industrial sector, where Silver demand is significant. Moreover, China's Consumer Price Index (CPI) fell 0.7%...
Oil prices fell in Asian trade on Monday as weak inflation data from top importer China kept traders on edge over slowing demand, while uncertainty over the impact of U.S. trade tariffs also weighed. Crude prices had slumped to more than three-year lows last week amid a storm of negative factors, chiefly concerns over slowing demand and increasing supply. Signs of a cooling U.S. economy also weighed. Brent oil futures expiring in May fell 0.4% to $70.10 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 0.4% to $66.48 a barrel by 22:48 ET (02:48 GMT). Both contracts were trading...
Gold held firm following a weekly advance as rising concerns about the global economic outlook buttressed haven demand. Spot bullion steadied near $2,912 an ounce, after gaining almost 2% last week. In the US, President Donald Trump said the economy faced "a period of transition" as he pressed on with his focus on tariffs and federal job cuts. In China, data pointed to persistent deflationary pressures. The precious metal has surged in the opening quarter of 2025, hitting successive records and gaining every week apart from one. The rally has been driven by investor anxiety about...
The dollar index remained at a four-month low below 104 on Monday after sliding over 3% last week, pressured by mounting US economic concerns. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump described the economy as undergoing "a period of transition" during a Fox News interview, when asked about the risk of a recession. His remarks came as financial markets grappled with an escalating global trade war, following new US tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China. Meanwhile, Friday's jobs report added to the uncertainty, showing that the US economy added 151K jobs in February, slightly below forecasts of...
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...
Indonesia's sovereign wealth fund, Danantara, plans to sign a USD 8 billion engineering, procurement, and construction (EPC) contract with US engineering firm KBR Inc. to build 17 modular...