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 price (XAU/USD) retreats from a nearly two-week high, around the $3,345-3,346 area touched this Thursday, and trades with a mild positive bias during the early European session. A modest US Dollar (USD) uptick is seen as a key factor behind the commodity's intraday pullback, though any meaningful downside seems elusive. The growing acceptance that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will lower borrowing costs further in 2025 and worries about rising US deficit should cap the USD, which should act as a tailwind for the non-yielding yellow metal. Meanwhile, US fiscal concerns, along with a...
Oil prices were little changed on Thursday as investors stayed cautious, focusing on renewed Iran-U.S. nuclear talks, though unexpected builds in U.S. crude and fuel inventories raised concerns about demand from the world's largest oil consumer. Brent futures inched up 4 cents to $64.95 a barrel by 0456 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained 10 cents to $61.67. Both benchmarks fell earlier in the session after U.S. crude and fuel inventories posted surprise stock builds last week, the Energy Information Administration said on Wednesday, as crude imports hit a six-week high...
The Australian Dollar (AUD) gains ground against the US Dollar (USD) on Thursday, extending its gains for the second successive day. The AUD/USD pair maintains its position following the release of the preliminary S&P Global Purchasing Managers Index (PMI) data. Australia's Manufacturing Purchasing Managers Index came in at 51.7 in May versus 51.7 prior. Meanwhile, Services PMI declines to 50.5 in May from the previous reading of 51.0, while the Composite PMI eases to 50.6 in May versus 51.0 prior. The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) reduced its Official Cash Rate (OCR) by 25 basis...
Silver price (XAG/USD) rises to near $32.60 per troy ounce during the Asian trading hours on Thursday, gaining ground for the third successive session. Precious metals, including Silver, attract buyers amid rising safe-haven demand over growing fiscal concerns in the United States (US). Moody's downgraded the US credit rating from Aaa to Aa1, following similar downgrades by Fitch Ratings in 2023 and Standard & Poor's in 2011. Moody's also predicted that US federal debt is expected to climb to around 134% of GDP by 2035, up from 98% in 2023, with the budget deficit expected to widen to...
Gold price (XAU/USD) prolongs the uptrend for the fourth consecutive day and climbs to a nearly two-week high, around the $3,344-3,345 area during the Asian session on Thursday. Investors remain on edge following the US sovereign credit rating downgrade by Moody's and growing worries about rising US deficit on the back of US President Donald Trump's sweeping tax bill. Moreover, renewed US-China trade tensions, along with geopolitical risks, hit the global risk sentiment and continue to benefit the safe-haven precious metal. Meanwhile, a poor response to the 20-year US bond auction...
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...