The European Union and the U.S. will form a "metals alliance" to counter the impact of subsidised Chinese production on global markets, as part of their ongoing trade deal, EU Trade Commissioner Maros Sefcovic said Monday. Following extensive talks, both sides agreed that their steel and aluminium sectors face a common threat. Under the deal, EU metal producers will receive tariff-free or low-tariff access to U.S. markets through a quota system, replacing former 50% tariffs imposed under President Trump. The system is still being finalized. "It became very, very clear that if it comes to...
WTI crude oil futures declined 1% to settle at $77.89 per barrel and Brent crude oil futures fell 0.6% to settle at $80.79 per barrel on Friday, driven by expectations of a ceasefire agreement in Gaza, which could reduce attacks on ships by Yemen's Houthi militia. Despite this drop, oil prices marked a fourth consecutive week of gains, rising more than 1%, primarily fueled by concerns over new U.S. sanctions targeting Russian oil producers and tankers, raising fears of tighter global oil supplies. Analysts highlighted that these concerns, coupled with expectations of U.S. interest rate...
WTI crude oil futures fell to $78 per barrel and Brent crude oil futures fell below $81 per barrel on Friday but remained on track for a fourth consecutive week of gains, driven by concerns over US sanctions on Russian energy. Last week, the Biden administration imposed broader sanctions targeting Russian oil producers and tankers, raising fears of supply disruptions. Investors are also watching for potential impacts from President-elect Donald Trump's return to office, as his Treasury pick has signaled tougher sanctions on Russia. Meanwhile, expectations of a ceasefire deal in Gaza, which...
The US dollar edged higher Friday, but was on course for a weekly loss after core inflation eased, while sterling retreated following the release of weak retail sales data. At 04:30 ET (09:30 GMT), the Dollar Index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six other currencies, traded 0.1% higher to 108.930, but was set for a drop of about 0.5% in the week, which would snap a six-week winning streak. The dollar has retreated this week after cooler than expected inflation data raised the possibility of easier monetary policy this year, even after policymakers at the Federal Reserve...
Gold (XAU/USD) prices maintained their negative bias through the first half of the European session on Friday, albeit lacked any follow-through selling and remained near one-month highs touched the previous day. The US Dollar (USD) regained some positive traction and for now, seems to have snapped three consecutive days of losing streak amid growing acceptance that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will pause its interest rate-cutting cycle later this month. This, along with a generally positive tone around equity markets, turned out to be the key factors undermining the precious metal. Meanwhile,...
Gold price (XAU/USD) enters a bullish consolidation phase during the Asian session on Friday and oscillates in a range around the $2,715 region, just below a one-month high touched the previous day. Expectations that softer inflation in the US will allow the Federal Reserve (Fed) to cut interest rates further this year led to the recent decline in the US Treasury bond yields and the US Dollar (USD). This, in turn, is seen as a key factor that continues to underpin the non-yielding yellow metal and supports prospects for additional gains. That said, easing fears about US President-elect...
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.
It...
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...
The European Union and the U.S. will form a "metals alliance" to counter the impact of subsidised Chinese production on global markets, as part of their ongoing trade deal, EU Trade Commissioner...