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...
Gold prices (XAU/USD) moved higher in the European session on Friday ahead of the United States (US) ISM Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) data for December, due to be published at 15:00 GMT. The Manufacturing PMI was seen steady at 48.4, indicating that activity contracted at a steady pace. The precious metal has outperformed in 2024 with a gain of over 27%, the metal's best annual return since 2010. The sustained rally was driven by strong safe-haven demand amid persistent geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the ongoing Russia-Ukraine conflict. According to three...
Oil prices were little changed on Friday after closing at their highest in more than two months in the previous session, amid hopes that governments around the world could step up policy support to revive economic growth that would boost fuel demand. Brent crude futures edged up 1 cent to $75.94 a barrel by 0720 GMT, after settling at their highest since Oct. 25 on Thursday. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude also rose 1 cent to $73.14 a barrel, with Thursday's settlement the highest since Oct. 14. Both contracts were on track for a second weekly gain after investors returned from...
The Australian Dollar (AUD) continued its gains for the second straight session against the US Dollar (USD) on Friday. The AUD gained support following a Financial Times report that the People's Bank of China (PBOC) is expecting a timely interest rate cut this year. As a close trading partner, any fluctuations in the Chinese economy are likely to affect the Australian market. The National Development and Reform Commission (NDRC), China's state planner, expressed confidence in achieving a sustained economic recovery by 2025. In a statement on Friday, the agency highlighted plans to...
The US Dollar (USD) strengthened to start the new year as trading conditions returned to normal after the holiday season. The US economic calendar will feature the ISM Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) data for December later in the day. Investors will also be looking for comments from central bank officials. The USD Index rose more than 0.7% on Thursday and hit its highest level since November 2022 above 109.50. On Friday morning, the index retreated towards 109.00. The risk-averse market mood helped the USD outperform its rivals on the first trading day of the...
The EUR/USD pair halted its four-day losing streak, trading near 1.0270 during the Asian session on Friday. A review of the daily chart shows a persistent bearish bias, with the pair moving down within a descending channel pattern. The 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI), a key momentum indicator, is hovering near the 30 level, indicating oversold conditions and a possible upside correction in the near term. However, the nine-day Exponential Moving Average (EMA) remains below the 14-day EMA, signaling weaker near-term price momentum and reinforcing the overall bearish sentiment. The...
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...