US Stocks plunged on Friday, as investors reacted to a weak July jobs report and a fresh round of tariffs announced by President Trump. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq fell 1.6% and 2.2%, their steepest drops since April, while the Dow lost 542 points. Payrolls rose by just 73,000 in July, far below expectations, with sharp downward revisions to prior months signaling deeper labor market weakness. Treasury yields fell and the odds of a September Fed rate cut rose above 80%. Sentiment worsened after new tariffs of 10% to 41% were imposed on imports from key partners including Canada, India, and...
WTI crude oil futures fell below $61 per barrel on Friday, heading for its first weekly decline in three, pressured by the potential for OPEC+ to raise crude production. The group is reportedly considering a third consecutive monthly increase in output quotas, possibly adding 411,000 bpd in July, though no agreement has been finalized. This adds to growing oversupply concerns, following an unexpected rise in US crude stockpiles earlier in the week. Data from The Tank Tiger also showed that US crude storage demand has recently surged to levels last seen during the COVID-19 pandemic, as...
Gold steadied after its first decline this week, as some traders turned to longer-term U.S. Treasury bonds and the dollar instead of the precious metal. Bullion traded near $3,300 an ounce, reversing gains made on Thursday, and is still up nearly 3% this week after buying the safe-haven asset following a Moody's downgrade of the U.S. rating. The world's largest economy faces a precarious fiscal situation, with a growing debt pile and rising interest payments that could lead to higher borrowing costs and make it harder to reduce the deficit. The precious metal has surged by about a quarter...
The Australian dollar (AUD) was under pressure again on Thursday (5/22) as the US dollar (USD) found its footing, with risk appetite fading and broader markets leaning towards the defensive. A strong surge in the US Dollar Index (DXY) weighed on the AUD, pushing AUD/USD down to 0.6415, a key support level that has acted as a floor in recent sessions. At the time of writing, the pair was trading around 0.6418, hovering just above its intraday low as sellers tested the resolve of near-term support. US dollar buoyed by strong data, but longer-term risks loom The Aussie's decline reflects...
Gold prices fell about 0.48% on Thursday (5/23) and failed to hold the $3,300 mark after hitting a two-week high of $3,345 earlier. A stronger US dollar weighed on the bullion as US Treasury yields fell from intraday highs as the US House of Representatives approved Trump's budget, which will now be sent to the Senate for approval. XAU/USD was trading at $3,289, down 0.83%. Market sentiment improved slightly but remained fragile as it was sponsored by Moody's downgrade of the US government's debt rating. The fiscal package so far approved by the US lower house is projected to add $4...
Oil prices were steady on Thursday as investors digested a report that OPEC+ is discussing increasing output for July, fueling concerns that global supply could outpace demand growth. Brent crude futures fell 47 cents, or 0.72%, to settle at $64.44 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was down 37 cents, or 0.6%, at $61.20. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies, known collectively as OPEC+, are discussing whether to make another major output increase at their meeting on June 1, Bloomberg News reported. A 411,000-barrel-per-day increase for July is...