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...
Oil prices fell on Tuesday (December 16), adding to the previous session's losses, as prospects for a Russia-Ukraine peace deal appeared to strengthen, raising expectations of potential sanctions relief. Brent crude futures fell 89 cents, or about 1.5%, to $59.67 per barrel at 0942 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude traded at $55.90 per barrel, down 92 cents, or 1.6%. Both contracts are near their lowest levels since May of this year. "Brent has fallen this morning to below $60 per barrel for the first time in months, as the market assesses the potential for a peace deal that...
The US Dollar Index (DXY) moved in negative territory and fell slightly to around 98.25 at the start of the European session on Tuesday. This weakening occurred as market participants adopted a wait-and-see approach ahead of the release of a series of US economic data, particularly the delayed November jobs report. The market's primary focus is on today's release of the October and November Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP). If the data shows a slowing labor market, expectations of a Fed interest rate cut could strengthen, which would typically weaken the dollar. Conversely, if the results are...
The USD/CHF currency pair fell on December 16, 2025, amid continued US dollar weakness in global markets. The dollar briefly approached a two-month low as investors awaited key economic data from the US, including the pending employment report, as well as more dovish or moderate policy signals from the Federal Reserve. This pressure on the dollar strengthened the Swiss franc relative to the USD, causing USD/CHF to fall below the psychological level of around 0.80. Furthermore, the Swiss National Bank's (SNB) decision to maintain interest rates at 0% without major changes also supported the...
The US dollar weakened early in the Asian session on Tuesday, falling to a near two-month low as markets awaited the release of a slew of economic data—particularly the delayed US November jobs report. The dollar index fell 0.2% to 98.261, near its lowest level since October 17, while October-November jobs data was only recently released after being delayed during the US government shutdown. HSBC analysts said this data is crucial for "closing the story" about labor conditions during the shutdown. The market is also still assessing the direction of the Fed's interest rate: Fed funds...
Silver prices remained high on December 16, 2025, despite a slight correction in global markets after last week's significant surge. Spot silver fell by around 2-3% from its record high above US$64 per ounce due to profit-taking, but overall, the metal remained near its all-time high. This decline occurred amidst a weakening US dollar, which had previously boosted precious metal prices, and volatile trading conditions. Fundamentally, silver continues to be driven by a structural imbalance between demand and supply. Global industrial demand—particularly for clean technologies like solar...
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...