
The economic activity in the United States' (US) manufacturing sector continued to contract in October, with the Institute for Supply Management's (ISM) Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) dropping to 48.7 from 49.1 in September. This reading came in weaker than the market expectation of 49.5. Other details of the PMI report showed that the Employment Index edged higher to 46 from 45.3 in this period, while the New Orders Index improved to 49.4 from 48.9. Finally, the Prices Pair Index, the input inflation component of the survey, declined to 58 from 61.9. Source: FXstreet
US President Donald Trump urged Ukraine to give up on hopes of regaining annexed Crimea or joining NATO, as he prepared to host President Volodymyr Zelenskiy and European leaders in Washington on Monday to urge Kyiv to accept a peace deal with Russia. After rolling out the red carpet for Russian President Vladimir Putin in Alaska on Friday, Trump urged Ukraine to accept a deal to end Europe's deadliest war in 80 years, which has killed tens of thousands of people and displaced millions. Trump will meet first with Zelenskiy and then with the leaders of Britain, Germany, France, Italy,...
The Trump administration has expanded its 50% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to cover hundreds of additional products. In a Federal Register notice on Friday, the Commerce Department's Bureau of Industry and Security said 407 new product codes were being added to the U.S. Harmonized Tariff Schedule, making them subject to duties on their steel and aluminum content. The notice clarified that non-steel and non-aluminum components will still face tariff rates already imposed on goods from certain countries. The expanded levies will take effect today, August 18. President Trump told...
Talks on a proposed U.S.-India trade deal have been delayed after a planned visit by American negotiators to New Delhi on August 25–29 was called off, Reuters reported. The move dashed hopes of easing fresh U.S. tariffs on Indian goods set to take effect August 27. The U.S. embassy reportedly said it had no further details, noting that talks are led by the U.S. Trade Representative (USTR). Earlier this month, President Trump imposed an extra 25% tariff on Indian goods over New Delhi's continued imports of Russian oil, pushing some duties to as high as 50%—among the steepest on any U.S....
US consumer sentiment fell to 58.6 in August from 61.7—the first decline since April. The University of Michigan survey was conducted July 29–August 11, with tariff concerns again weighing on confidence. Full-year inflation expectations rose to 4.9%, while the 5–10-year forecast was 3.9%. Both were worse than economists' forecasts. Job concerns also increased: 62% of respondents predicted unemployment would rise. 58% planned to cut back on spending (cars, household goods, dining out), and durable goods purchasing conditions fell to their lowest in a year. Meanwhile, retail sales continued...
President Donald Trump said he would set levies on semiconductors in the coming two weeks, the latest indication he's readying a substantial expansion of his tariff regime. "I'll be setting tariffs next week and the week after, on steel and on, I would, say chips — chips and semiconductors, we'll be setting sometime next week, week after," Trump told reporters Friday aboard Air Force One en route to Alaska for a summit with Russian President Vladimir Putin. It wasn't clear if Trump misspoke about steel tariffs. He already hiked duties on steel and aluminum imports to 50% in...
	    	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...	    
	    	As the U.S. government shutdown disrupts federal employee paychecks across the country, it also exacerbates the financial hardship of attorneys who represent the poorest members of society when they...