The Federal Reserve is expected to deliver its first interest-rate cut this year at its September 16-17 meeting, as it moves to counter a cooling labor market even as inflation remains above target. The anticipated quarter-point reduction may not satisfy President Donald Trump, who wants a bigger cut and has named his White House economic advisor, Stephen Miran, in time to be on the Fed Board at the September meeting, pending Senate confirmation. Here is a look at Fed officials' comments since their last policy meeting, sorting them under the labels "dove" and "hawk" as shorthand for their...
Oil prices held steady on Wednesday amid global trade tensions and as ongoing OPEC+ output increases were offset by a hit to Canadian supply from wildfires. Brent crude futures inched 6 cents higher, or 0.1%, to $65.69 a barrel by 1203 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was 8 cents higher, also around 0.1%, at $63.49. Plans by OPEC+ producers to again increase output by 411,000 barrels per day (bpd) in July were weighing on the market, said Janiv Shah, vice president of oil commodity markets analysis at Rystad Energy. Yet there was some support as wildfires reduced Canada's...
Gold prices held steady on Wednesday as stronger U.S. jobs data countered safe-haven demand driven by simmering trade tensions between the U.S. and China. Spot gold was steady at $3,349.19 an ounce, as of 1145 GMT. U.S. gold futures were unchanged at $3,373.10. "U.S. labor data gave markets a bit of relief yesterday, causing a small dip in gold prices. However, tensions between the U.S. and China are still keeping risks high and gold prices supported," said Zain Vawda, market analyst at MarketPulse by OANDA. Job openings in the U.S. rose in April, though layoffs surged to their highest...
Silver prices (XAG/USD) correction from year-to-date highs below $35.00 has been limited at the $34.00 area, and the precious metal bounced up again to consolidate at the $34.50 area on Wednesday, with the 34.80 high at a short distance. Bears have been contained well above a previous resistance area at the $33.50-$33.70, and the 4-Hour RSI remains well above the 50 level, highlighting the pair's positive bias. The US Dollar Index seems to have lost momentum, following a moderate recovery on Tuesday. The enthusiasm from the strong job openings data seems to have faded, with investors...
The US Dollar (USD) showed resilience despite the late-session bounce in Treasury yields, supported by strong April JOLTS job openings. That said, the JOLTS data adds little to the overall jobs picture: the labour market remains tight, while declining quits suggest wage growth is easing. The dollar's rebound appears more a reflection of markets struggling to justify an already elevated risk premium without fresh negative developments on trade or Treasury fronts, ING's FX analyst Francesco Pesole notes. USD to come under renewed pressure "Markets may also be adopting a slightly more...
Oil prices slipped in Asian trade on Wednesday, weighed down by concerns of increasing OPEC+ output and tariff tension that threatens the global economic outlook, though worries about Canadian supply provided a floor. Brent crude futures dipped 17 cents, or 0.3%, to $65.46 a barrel by 0644 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was down 19 cents, or 0.3%, at $63.22 a barrel. Both benchmarks climbed about 2% on Tuesday to a two-week high, driven by worries over supply disruption from Canadian wildfires and expectations that Iran would reject a U.S. nuclear deal proposal key to easing...
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...