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 Wednesday (December 31st), posting a nearly 20% annual loss, as expectations of oversupply grew in a year marked by war, higher tariffs, increased OPEC+ production, and sanctions against Russia, Iran, and Venezuela. Brent crude futures fell about 19% in 2025, the most substantial annual percentage decline since 2020 and the third consecutive year of losses, the longest streak on record. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude posted a nearly 20% annual decline. On the final day of the year, Brent futures closed at $60.85 per barrel, down 48 cents, or 0.8%. U.S. WTI...
Gold (XAU/USD) prices fell slightly on the final trading day of 2025, trading near $4,310 per troy ounce during Wednesday's European session. Non-yielding precious metals, including gold, lost ground after the minutes of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) December meeting, released on Tuesday, indicated a deep split within the committee. Some Federal Reserve (Fed) officials have said it may be best to leave interest rates unchanged for the time being after the committee delivered three rate cuts this year. However, some policymakers believe it may be appropriate to refrain from...
The US Dollar Index (DXY) remained slightly higher in a quiet year-end session on Wednesday. However, it has lost most of its intraday gains, having peaked at 98.44, and is trading near 98.25 ahead of the US open. The DXY, which measures the greenback against a basket of six currencies, is trading about 2% below its November peak of 100.40 and is on track for a nearly 10% annual decline, its weakest performance in eight years. The US dollar has been one of the weakest performers in the G8 in 2025. Investor concerns about the impact of US President Donald Trump's erratic trade policies and...
EUR/USD loses ground for the sixth consecutive day on Wednesday, trading below 1.1730 after peaking above 1.1800 last week. The pair struggles amid a moderate US Dollar (USD) rebound following the release of December's Federal Reserve Monetary Policy Meeting minutes. From a wider perspective, however, the common currency remains on track to a 14% yearly appreciation, boosted by the monetary policy divergence between the European Central Bank (ECB) and the Fed. Apart from that, US President Donald Trump's erratic trade policies and the softening US economy have weighed heavily on the...
The US Dollar Index (DXY) remains marginally higher in a quiet year-end session on Wednesday. Still, the Index has given away most of the daily gains, after peaking at 98.44, and trades near 98.25 heading into the US session opening. The DXY, which measures the value of the greenback against a basket of six currencies, is trading about 2% below November's peak, at 100.40, and on track to a nearly 10% yearly depreciation, its weakest performance in the last eight years. The US Dollar has been one of the weakest G8 performers in 2025Investors' concerns about the impact of US President Donald...
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...