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
President Donald Trump urged the Federal Reserve to slash interest rates to 1%, arguing it would reduce federal borrowing costs and boost economic growth. "We need a 1% rate. The Fed is killing growth," he said on Monday. The federal funds rate currently stands at 5.25–5.50%, where the Fed has held it to control inflation and prevent economic overheating. Dropping rates to 1% would represent the most aggressive monetary easing since the COVID-19 pandemic. Trump's call comes as federal debt servicing costs climb toward historic highs. While a lower rate could ease short-term interest...
President Donald Trump on Monday threatened to impose "secondary tariffs" on Russia's trade partners "at about 100%" if President Vladimir Putin does not agree to a deal to end his invasion of Ukraine in 50 days. "We're very, very unhappy with them, and we're going to be doing very severe tariffs, if you don't have a deal in 50 days, tariffs at about 100%, they call them secondary tariffs," Trump said from the White House while meeting with NATO's secretary general, Mark Rutte. The president said that he is "disappointed" with Putin, because he thought they would have had a deal months...
U.S. stocks edged lower Monday amid fears of an intensifying trade war after President Donald Trump slapped 30% tariffs on imports from Mexico and the European Union, continuing the volatile negotiations with his trading partners. At 09:35 ET (13:35 GMT), the Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 80 points, or 0.2%, the S&P 500 index fell 10 points, or 0.1%, while the NASDAQ Composite slipped 12 points, or 0.1%. Trump imposes 30% tariffs on Mexico, EU Trump over the weekend released more letters outlining trade tariffs on major U.S. trading partners, this time imposing a 30% levy on...
President Donald Trump said the US would send more Patriot air defense batteries to Ukraine, apparently in a shift in stance toward Russia after its efforts to negotiate a ceasefire failed. "I haven't agreed on the numbers yet, but they'll be getting some," the president told reporters on Sunday on his way back to the White House. "We'll be sending Patriots, which they desperately need." The announcement served as the backdrop for what Trump described as his "major statement" against Russia on Monday, as Moscow escalated its airstrikes against Ukraine. The US president has grown...
US President Donald Trump has the authority to fire Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell for good reason if there is evidence to support it, White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett said Sunday, and that the Fed "should be held fully accountable" for the cost overruns at its Washington headquarters. Hassett told ABC's "This Week" that Trump's decision to try to fire Powell over what the Trump administration calls a $700 million cost overrun "will depend largely on the answers we get to the questions Russ Vought has asked the Fed." Vought, the White House budget director, last week...
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...