The Fed will be in the spotlight this week, as markets are now all but certain that the central bank will slash interest rates at the end of its latest two-day gathering on Wednesday. Underpinned by signs of a softening U.S. labor market, policymakers are widely anticipated to back the first rate cut since an easing cycle was paused in December. Bringing down rates can, in theory, help spur investment and hiring. However, a reduction can risk pushing up inflationary pressures at the same time. Last week, a monthly U.S. consumer price index reading accelerated slightly due to an uptick in...
EUR/USD trades almost flat after climbing past the 1.1500 figure, following the Federal Reserve's (Fed) decision to hold rates unchanged, amid increasing tensions in the Middle East. This, along with comments from US President Donald Trump, boosted the Dollar, capping the Euro's (EUR) advance. At the time of writing, the pair trades at 1.1476, virtually unchanged. Recently, the Fed kept rates at the 4.25%–4.50% range, reaffirming that the economy is expanding solidly, with strong labor market conditions. The US central bank reiterated its commitment to monitoring risks associated with both...
Oil prices settled higher on Wednesday in a volatile session as investors weighed the chance of supply disruptions from the Iran-Israel conflict and potential direct U.S. involvement. Brent crude futures settled 25 cents higher at $76.70 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 30 cents at $75.14. Earlier in the session, prices were down around 2%. On Tuesday, prices jumped over 4%. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei rejected U.S. President Donald Trump's demand for unconditional surrender, and Trump said his patience had run out but did not indicate what his next step...
The US Dollar Index (DXY) whipsawed on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve's (Fed) Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) kept interest rates unchanged, as investors had broadly expected. The Greenback continues to churn in a long-tailed midrange near the 98.60 region as traders await Fed Chair Jerome Powell's upcoming press conference and follow-up Q&A session. The Fed still sees an average of 50 basis points in interest rate cuts by the end of the year, following closely with what is priced in according to the CME's FedWatch Tool. However, ongoing trade policy uncertainty has pushed...
Gold was steady as traders watched for signs the conflict in the Middle East could widen to include the US, while also awaiting an interest-rate decision by the Federal Reserve later in the day. President Donald Trump declined on Wednesday to say whether the US plans to join Israel's military offensive on Iran. He met with his national security team on Tuesday, fueling speculation that the US may join Israel's attack. Ahead of the Fed's rate decision, the latest US data showed jobless claims ticked down last week, stabilizing near the highest levels in...
The Australian Dollar is paring some of Tuesday's losses, favoured by a mildly weaker US Dollar on Wednesday. The pair, however, remains unable to consolidate above 0.6500 with investors cautious amid geopolitical tensions ahead of the US Fed monetary policy decision. The Israel-Iran war reaches its sixth day with Tel Aviv pounding the Islamic Republic tirelessly and the US threatening to get involved after President Trump demanded the unconditional surrender of Tehran´s authorities. Concerns about a widespread regional war and its potential impact on commodity prices and on global...
President Donald Trump said he would fire Lisa Cook from the Federal Reserve's Board of Governors if she does not resign her post over mortgage-fraud accusations from a top...
The Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) maintained its cash rate at 4.1% during its April meeting, holding borrowing costs unchanged after slashing 25 bps in the February meeting, aligning with market...