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
Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr said on Tuesday that higher import levies will likely put upward pressure on prices that may not be temporary, suggesting he is not rushing to cut interest rates. "I expect inflation to rise due to tariffs," Barr stated during an event in Omaha, Nebraska aimed at gathering feedback on Fed policy and economic conditions from business and community leaders. Barr warned that "higher short-term inflation expectations, supply chain adjustments, and second-round effects may cause some inflation persistence," while noting that tariffs could simultaneously...
Higher tariffs could begin raising inflation this summer, a period that will be key to Federal Reserve consideration of possible rate cuts, Fed Chair Jerome Powell told members of Congress on Tuesday. Pressed by Republican members of the House Financial Services committee about why the Fed isn't cutting rates, as President Donald Trump has demanded, Powell said he and many at the Fed expect inflation to start rising soon, and that the central bank was in no rush to ease borrowing costs in the meantime. Powell particularly said he would not open the door to a rate cut at the Fed's July...
The Israel Defense Forces (IDF) said Tuesday morning that it had identified a missile that was launched from Iran into southern Israel some time ago. Iranian Foreign Minister Abbas Araqchi said Tuesday morning that if Israel stops its "illegal aggression" against the Iranian people by 4 a.m. Tehran time (0030 GMT) on Tuesday, Iran has no intention of continuing its response after that, according to Reuters. Market reaction At the time of writing, West Texas Intermediate (WTI) was trading 1.25% lower on the day and was trading at $66.15. Gold (XAU/USD) was trading 0.62% lower on the day...
Iran fired missiles at a US air base in Qatar after promising it would respond "proportionately and decisively" to President Donald Trump's weekend airstrikes on three of its nuclear facilities.Qatar said the barrage at Al Udeid base the biggest such US facility in the Middle East was intercepted and that there were no casualties. Al Udeid is the regional headquarters for US Central Command, which oversees the American military in the region, and is home to several thousand US service-members, though many staff had been evacuated. Oil prices fell immediately after the attack, with Brent...
A fact-finding mission mandated by the United Nations said on Monday that some of Israel's strikes on Iran may have broken international humanitarian law, citing the killing of civilians in an apartment block and three aid workers in Tehran. Israel began airstrikes on Iran in a surprise attack on June 13 that killed many of Iran's top commanders and has intensified attacks since, prompting an exodus from the capital. The United States joined on Sunday by hitting Iran's underground nuclear sites. "Among those killed in Tehran were dozens of residents of an apartment complex and three...
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...