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...
Applications for US unemployment benefits fell after a spike in the previous week, underscoring the choppy nature of the data at this time of year. Initial claims decreased by 13,000 to 224,000 in the week ended Dec. 13, according to Labor Department data released Thursday. The median forecast in a Bloomberg survey of economists called for 225,000 applications. Continuing claims, a proxy for the number of people receiving benefits, rose to 1.9 million in the previous week. Holiday-related factors often lead to swings in weekly claims data, which will likely continue through the end...
Annual inflation in the United States (US), as measured by the change in the Consumer Price Index (CPI), fell 2.7% in November, according to a report by the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Thursday. The US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) will release key Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for November on Thursday at 1:30 PM GMT. The inflation report will not include the CPI for October and will not offer a monthly CPI figure for November, due to the lack of data collection during the government shutdown. Therefore, investors will be closely watching the annual CPI and core CPI figures...
The Bank of England cut Bank Rate by 25 basis points to 3.75%, its lowest level since 2022, as easing inflation and growing signs of economic stress prompted policymakers to act. This marked the first rate cut since August. Five policymakers voted to cut rates, while four others voted to keep rates unchanged. The Monetary Policy Committee (MPC) stated that future policy easing would be guided by developments in the inflation outlook, adding that the degree of policy restraint had eased. UK inflation slowed to 3.2% in November, the lowest in eight months and below the Bank of England's...
The United States ordered a blockade of Venezuelan oil tankers because the Trump administration believes President Nicolás Maduro's regime is acting detrimentally to the United States and the world. Trump has labeled the Venezuelan government a "foreign terrorist organization" and accused the regime of asset theft, terrorism, drug trafficking, and human trafficking. He has therefore decided to block tankers sailing in and out of Venezuela as part of an economic and political pressure campaign. This move is also part of a broader US pressure campaign, including the seizure of tankers...
Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent expects a substantial drop in inflation during the first six months of 2026, according to statements made Tuesday on Fox Business. Bessent indicated that an announcement regarding President Trump's Federal Reserve chair selection would likely come in early January, with "one or two more Fed interviews" possibly taking place this week. When discussing potential candidates, Bessent noted that both Kevin Warsh and Kevin Hassett are "very very qualified" for the position. He rejected suggestions that Hassett would lack agency at the Federal Reserve, while...
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...