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...
The dollar fell for a third day against a range of currencies on Wednesday, after U.S. President Donald Trump failed to convince Republican holdouts to back his sweeping tax bill. Traders were also wary of U.S. officials potentially angling for a weaker dollar at Group of Seven finance minister meetings under way in Canada. Developments in Trump's global tariff war, which have swung currencies wildly in recent months, have slowed considerably this week, even as the clock ticks to the end of a 90-day tariff respite for U.S. trade partners in the absence of new deals. While markets remain...
The U.S. dollar fell further Wednesday, continuing to head lower on uncertainty over President Donald Trump's tax bill, while sterling jumped after a hot inflation report. At 04:30 ET (08:30 GMT), the Dollar Index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six other currencies, fell 0.4% to 99.595, extending a 1.3% two-day decline. U.S. tax bill, G7 meeting in focus President Donald Trump's tax cut and spending bill has apparently run into opposition from several dissenting lawmakers, and faces a critical stress test on Wednesday as Republicans in the U.S. House of Representatives...
Oil prices gained more than 1% on Wednesday after reports of Israel preparing a strike on Iranian nuclear facilities raised fears that a conflict could upset supply availability in the key Middle East producing region. Brent futures for July rose 68 cents, or 1.04%, to $66.06 a barrel, by 0630 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures for July climbed 70 cents, or 1.1%, to $62.73. New intelligence obtained by the United States suggests that Israel is preparing to strike Iranian nuclear facilities, CNN reported on Tuesday, citing multiple U.S. officials familiar with the matter. It...
Gold prices rose nearly 1% on Wednesday, hitting their highest levels in more than a week, as a weaker dollar and U.S. fiscal uncertainty amid Congressional debate on a sweeping tax bill spurred demand for safe-haven assets. Spot gold was up 0.9% at $3,319.51 an ounce, as of 0643 GMT. Earlier in the session, bullion touched its highest level since May 12. U.S. gold futures gained 1.1% to $3,320.30. The dollar opens new tab retreated to its lowest level since May 7, making greenback-priced gold cheaper for holders of overseas currency. "The general dollar index lost more than a full point...
Gold rose to around $3,300 on Wednesday, nearing a two-week high and building on a more than 2% gain from the last session, supported by geopolitical risks and persistent weakness in the US dollar. Reports that Israel is planning a strike on Iranian nuclear sites have raised concerns that the Middle East conflict could escalate, as such an attack might provoke retaliation from Iran. Adding to geopolitical concerns, President Trump said Russia and Ukraine would begin ceasefire talks immediately, but he appeared to signal that he would step back from mediating the three-year...