The Federal Reserve is likely to start a series of interest-rate cuts next week and keep going through the end of the year, traders bet on Wednesday after tamer-than-expected producer price inflation last month calmed worries that price pressures would hold the central bank back from policy easing. Traders stuck to bets the Fed will start with a quarter-point reduction at its meeting next week, and continue with same-sized cuts through year-end, based on pricing of futures contracts that settle to the Fed's policy rate. The producer price index increased 2.6% in August from a year earlier,...
Silver (XAG/USD) attracted some sellers during the Asian session on Wednesday (3/26) and eroded part of the previous day's strong up-move. The white metal is currently trading around the $33.65-$33.60 area, down 0.30% for the day, although the downside appears limited amid the bullish technical setup. XAG/USD showed some resilience last week below the $33.00 level and the 100-period Simple Moving Average (SMA) on the 4-hour chart. The subsequent up-move and positive oscillators on the daily chart validate the positive outlook. Hence, any further intraday decline could be seen as a buying...
Gold prices held steady on Wednesday as market participants braced for U.S. President Donald Trump's tit-for-tat tariffs, which they fear will stoke inflation and hamper economic growth. Spot gold was up 0.1% at $3,019.72 an ounce by 0328 GMT. U.S. gold futures were down 0.1% at $3,023.60. "There are real concerns around U.S. economic growth and also inflation. The U.S. is likely to face a stagflation scenario, and that could support prices," said Soni Kumari, commodity strategist at ANZ. U.S. consumer confidence plunged to its lowest level in more than four years in March, with...
The dollar weakened on Wednesday, with weak U.S. confidence data and concerns about the impact of broad tariffs on U.S. growth dampening its recent recovery. The dollar retreated about 0.5 percent against the yen overnight, dropping below 150 yen to 149.95 early in Asia. The euro, which spent the week sliding from a five-month high, was now steady at $1.0789. The euro and the Russian ruble did not react immediately to the U.S. deal with Russia and Ukraine to halt attacks at sea and on energy targets, although wheat prices fell as the U.S. said it would push for the lifting of sanctions on...
Gold was steady in early Asian trade, supported by signs of worsening U.S. household sentiment that could maintain the precious metal's appeal as a safe haven. The Conference Board's monthly survey on Tuesday showed forward expectations for income, business and labor market conditions fell to a 12-year low. Additionally, "ongoing trade tensions could dampen economic growth, supporting gold prices," Konstantinos Chrysikos of Kudotrade said in an email. Investors may want to keep an eye on economic data and updates on U.S. trade policy, the head of Client Relationship Management added. Spot...
Oil prices rose after an industry report signaled a big drop in U.S. crude stockpiles, while the market weighed the prospect of a Russia-Ukraine ceasefire in the Black Sea. West Texas Intermediate crude rose above $69 a barrel after closing slightly lower on Tuesday. Brent crude settled near $73. Inventories fell by 4.6 million barrels last week, according to the American Petroleum Institute, which would be the biggest drop since November if confirmed by official data due Wednesday. Meanwhile, the U.S. said Russia and Ukraine had agreed to a ceasefire "to ensure safe navigation" in the...
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...