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...
The Japanese Yen (JPY) traded with a positive bias against its US counterpart for the third straight day on Thursday (May 15) and for now, seems to have stalled the previous day's decline from weekly highs. The Japanese wholesale inflation data released on Wednesday indicated that companies continued to pass on costs to consumers, adding to concerns over a more entrenched price rise in Japan. This is expected to keep the Bank of Japan (BOJ) on track for further interest rate hikes, which in turn, was seen supportive of the JPY. Additionally, a slight deterioration in the global risk...
Gold steadied after falling more than 2% on Wednesday on signs the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates fewer times than previously anticipated, and as easing U.S.-China tensions dampened demand for safe-haven assets. Bullion traded above $3,182 an ounce on Thursday, near its lowest level in more than a month. U.S. Treasury yields rose on expectations the Fed will lower borrowing costs more slowly than expected as the economic outlook improves following a U.S.-China trade truce. Higher yields and interest rates tend to be negative for non-yielding bullion. Continued progress in U.S.-led...
Oil fell for a second day following reports Iran is willing to give up nuclear weapons in a deal with the U.S. in return for sanctions relief. West Texas Intermediate fell to $62 a barrel, after dropping 0.8% on Wednesday, when Brent closed near $66. Iran is ready to sign the deal under certain conditions, NBC reported, citing Ali Shamkhani, a top adviser to the OPEC nation's top leader. Crude fell on Wednesday after government data showed U.S. inventories rose by the most since March, ending a four-day rally that had seen them rise nearly 10%. The gains were driven by a trade truce between...
EUR/USD trimmed momentum sharply on Wednesday, sticking to a flat holding pattern near the 1.1200 handle despite an early pop in bids. European economic data has been largely a non-starter this week, as is typical. However, a one-two punch of key inflation data from the United States (US) has given plenty of traders something to chew on. German final Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) for April came in exactly as expected on Wednesday, and data on the US side was strictly mid-tier, giving markets some breathing space between this week's Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation data...
The AUD/USD pair is trading near the lower end of its daily range, reflecting a mixed technical outlook. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the performance of the US Dollar (USD) against six major currencies, has dipped toward the 100.60 area, pressured by soft US inflation data and speculation about a possible dovish shift from the Federal Reserve (Fed). US officials recently downplayed speculation about a deliberate dollar-weakening strategy, but concerns persist as trade discussions with South Korea suggest room for stronger local currencies. This uncertainty has contributed to...
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...