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 U.S. dollar rose Thursday, retaining some strength after the Federal Reserve highlighted stagflation risks at its latest meeting, prompting traders to push out the chance of near-term rate cuts. At 04:10 ET (08:10 GMT), the Dollar Index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six other currencies, gained 0.4% to 99.877, having bounced around 0.3% in the previous session. Dollar gains on hawkish Fed The U.S. central bank kept its benchmark interest rate steady in the 4.25%-4.50% range on Wednesday, but said that the risks of both higher inflation and unemployment had risen and...
The British pound briefly jumped 0.5% to $1.3356 after reports suggested that President Trump would announce a US-UK trade deal later on Thursday. The pound initially rallied on the news, which followed a social media tease from Trump hinting at a "major trade deal," later linked to the UK. The move also reflected broader dollar weakness, which has dominated currency markets since Trump's April 2 tariff wave sparked concerns over a potential US recession and persistent inflation. Meanwhile, the Sterling gave up gains to change hands at $1.327 as investors are now focused on the Bank of...
Oil rose on Thursday after falling more than $1 in the previous session, supported by hopes of a breakthrough in looming trade talks between the U.S. and China, the world's two largest oil consumers. Brent crude futures were up 10 cents, or 0.2%, at $61.22 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 13 cents, or 0.2% to $58.20 a barrel at 0632 GMT. "Optimism around the U.S. and China trade talks this weekend is a primary factor supporting the rebound in the oil market," said independent market analyst Tina Teng. "Signs of a de-escalating trade war improved market sentiment,...
Gold extended its recent decline to around $3,360 per ounce on Thursday, as a cautious outlook on US interest rates weighed on the appeal of the non-yielding asset. The Federal Reserve held its benchmark rate steady as expected and warned of rising risks of both inflation and unemployment, reinforcing its cautious stance on future rate changes. Fed Chair Jerome Powell also stated that the central bank is not considering a preemptive rate cut in response to potential economic fallout from tariffs. Meanwhile, uncertainty surrounding US-China trade talks helped limit further losses. President...
Oil prices rose on Thursday after falling more than $1 in the previous session, supported by hopes for a breakthrough in upcoming trade talks between the US and China, the world's two largest oil consumers. Brent crude futures rose 51 cents, or 0.8%, to $61.63 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 57 cents, or 1%, to $58.64 a barrel by 0420 GMT. "Optimism surrounding the US-China trade talks later this week is a major factor supporting the oil market recovery," said independent market analyst Tina Teng. "Signs of an easing trade war have boosted market sentiment,...
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...