The ISM Services PMI rose to 52.4 in October 2025 from 50 in September, beating forecasts of 50.8, pointing to the strongest expansion in the services sector since February. Both business activity (54.3 vs 49.9) and new orders (56.2 vs 50.4) rebounded while the continued contraction in employmet (48.2 vs 47.2) shows a lack of confidence in the continued strength of the economy. "There was no indication of widespread layoffs or reductions in force, but the federal government shutdown was mentioned several times as impacting business activity and generating concerns for future layoffs",...
The latest report on Durable Goods Orders has been released, revealing a decline of 2.8%. This metric measures the change in the total value of new orders for long-lasting manufactured goods, including transportation items. It serves as a crucial indicator of the health of the manufacturing sector and the overall economy. The actual decline of 2.8% is less severe than the forecasted drop of 3.8%. This smaller-than-expected decrease is a positive sign for the U.S. dollar (USD), as Durable Goods Orders are a key factor in the valuation of the currency. A higher than expected reading is...
Global investors were stunned on Tuesday (August 26th) after US President Donald Trump renewed his attacks on the Federal Reserve's independence, caught between concerns over the politicization of policy and market benefits. Trump's announcement that he was firing Fed Chair Lisa Cook caught markets by surprise, even though he had made it clear last week that Cook was a target and had been attacking Chairman Jerome Powell for months as part of his campaign to push the Fed to cut interest rates. "This is another rift in the fabric of the United States and its investability," said Kyle Rodda,...
President Donald Trump said the US has more leverage over China on trade than the other way around, citing airplane parts as a key item Washington has to counter Beijing's restrictions on rare earths. "We have much bigger and better cards than they do," he said Monday. "If I played those cards, that would destroy China. I'm not going to play those cards." China halted most shipments of rare-earth magnets to the US in April, weaponizing the nation's 90% grip on global production to squeeze American factories. Beijing agreed to normalize flows as part of a trade truce...
U.S. President Donald Trump said on Monday evening that Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook was to be removed from her post, effective immediately, alleging that she made false statements in two mortgage applications. Trump, in a letter released to social media, said that there is "sufficient cause" for Cooke's removal. "There is sufficient reason to believe (Cook) may have made false statements on one or more mortgage agreements," Trump said in a letter, alleging that Cook declared two separate properties as her primary residences in two separate mortgage agreements signed within weeks of...
U.S. President Donald Trump expressed his desire to meet with North Korean leader Kim Jong Un this year. Speaking to reporters on Monday before a meeting with South Korean President Lee Jae Myung at the White House, Trump highlighted his relationship with the North Korean leader. "I have a very good relationship. I understand them. I spent a lot of free time with them, talking about things that we probably aren't supposed to talk about. And you know, I just, I get along with him really well. I think he has a country of great potential, tremendous potential," Trump said. When asked...
Asia-Pacific markets traded higher, tracking Wall Street gains overnight.
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 0.41% after hitting a fresh record high on Thursday, while the Topix added 0.61%. South...
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...
American consumers struggling to access food assistance payments due to the government shutdown are unable to fill their shopping carts, and that's "hurtful," according to the company behind Stop...