European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said she will travel to Scotland this weekend to meet with US President Donald Trump, as both sides aim to reach a trade deal before the August 1 deadline when 30% tariffs on the bloc's exports are due to take effect. After months of negotiations and back-and-forth diplomacy between Brussels and Washington, D.C., the two sides have zeroed in on a deal last week that will see the EU face 15% tariffs on most of its trade. Limited exceptions are expected to apply to aviation, some medical devices and generic drugs, some alcoholic beverages,...
Gold fell more than 1% to its lowest level in nearly a month on Friday due to easing geopolitical and trade tensions and as investors awaited U.S. inflation data for clues on the future trajectory of interest rates. Spot gold lost 1.3% to $3,283.56 per ounce by 0839 GMT, its lowest since late May. Prices have fallen by over 2% this week and more than $200 from a record high scaled in April. U.S. gold futures fell 1.6% to $3,295.70. The Iran-Israel ceasefire, brokered earlier this week by U.S. President Donald Trump, is holding for now. A White House official said on Thursday that the...
The U.S. dollar edged marginally higher Friday ahead of the release of key inflation data, but remained close to multi-year lows, on course for hefty weekly losses on expectations of lower interest rates and reduced geopolitical and trade tensions. At 04:45 ET (08:45 GMT), the Dollar Index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six other currencies, rose marginally to 96.770, remaining close to its lowest level since March 2022, on track for a 1.5% decline in June, its sixth straight month in the red. Dollar has further downside Signs of stabilization in the Middle East, with the...
The Pound Sterling (GBP) holds onto gains near a fresh three-year high around 1.3770 against the US Dollar (USD) during European trading hours on Friday. The GBP/USD pair clings to gains as the US Dollar struggles to gain ground due to a sharp deterioration in its safe-haven demand, following tensions between United States (US) President Donald Trump and Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell over the monetary policy status. At the time of writing, the US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback's value against six major currencies, struggles to hold the fresh three-and-a-half-year...
Oil prices headed for their steepest weekly decline since March 2023 on Friday, as the absence of significant supply disruption from the Iran-Israel conflict saw any risk premium evaporate. Brent crude futures rose 36 cents, or 0.53%, to $68.09 a barrel by 0637 GMT while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained 33 cents, or 0.51%, to $65.57. That put both contracts on course for a weekly fall of about 12%. The benchmarks are now back at the levels they were at before Israel began the conflict by firing missiles at Iranian military and nuclear targets on June 13. This week began with...
Gold declined toward $3,280 per ounce on Friday, hitting its lowest level in four weeks, as fading geopolitical risks and easing fears of a prolonged trade conflict dented safe-haven demand. The US and China finalized the details of their London trade deal, which will implement the Geneva consensus. Under the agreement, China will approve export applications for controlled goods, while the US will lift various trade restrictions. This followed the White House downplaying the urgency of upcoming tariff deadlines, suggesting they could be extended and further easing trade...
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 locked horns with Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell during a rare presidential visit to the U.S. central bank on Thursday, criticizing the cost of renovating two historical...