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...
GBP/USD moved lower after two days of gains, trading around 1.2220 during Asian trading hours on Thursday (16/1). The pound (GBP) came under downward pressure following weaker-than-expected inflation data from the United Kingdom (UK) released on Wednesday. The yield on the benchmark 10-year UK bond fell to 4.73%, retreating from a multi-decade high, after official data showed an unexpected drop in UK headline inflation, raising expectations of a rate cut by the Bank of England (BoE). The UK Consumer Price Index (CPI) rose by 2.5% year-on-year in December, down from 2.6% in November and...
Silver price (XAG/USD) remains stable at around $30.70 per troy ounce during the Asian session on Thursday. The price of the non-yielding metal gained support as December's lower-than-expected underlying inflation in the US sparked speculation that the US Federal Reserve (Fed) might implement two interest rate cuts this year. Meanwhile, 2-year and 10-year US Treasury bond yields stand at 4.27% and 4.66%, respectively, at the time of writing. Both yields dropped by over 2% on Wednesday. Additionally, the US Dollar Index (DXY), which gauges the US Dollar's (USD) performance against six major...
The dollar index held around the 109 level on Thursday (16/1) after declining for three straight sessions, as signs of easing U.S. inflation strengthened expectations for further Federal Reserve interest rate cuts this year. U.S. core inflation rose 3.2% year-on-year in December, slowing from 3.3% in November, which was also the consensus forecast. On a monthly basis, the core reading fell to 0.2% from 0.3%, in line with expectations. The inflation data led to a sharp drop in the 10-year U.S. Treasury yield, which fell about 14 basis points to around 4.65%. Market participants also expect...
The Australian Dollar (AUD) remains stable on Thursday following three consecutive days of gains against the US Dollar (USD). The AUD/USD pair saw modest support as the AUD posted slight gains in response to the Australian Employment report. According to the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS), employment increased by 56.3K in December, up from 28.2K in November (revised from 35.6K) and significantly exceeding the market forecast of 15.0K. Meanwhile, the Unemployment Rate rose to 4.0% in December, compared to 3.9% in November, aligning with market expectations.Bjorn Jarvis, head of labor...
West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the US crude benchmark, was trading around $78.85 on Thursday (16/1). WTI prices moved lower on improving prospects of a ceasefire between Hamas and Israel that could ease geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, weighing on WTI prices. According to an official, Israel and Hamas have agreed to a deal to halt fighting in Gaza and exchange Israeli hostages for Palestinian prisoners. An end to the conflict between Israel and Hamas would ease tensions in the Middle East and reduce the threat of disruption to crude supplies in the region. This, in turn, could hurt...
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...
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...