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...
EUR/USD caught a bounce for a second day in a row on Tuesday, bolstering the pair back toward the 1.1300 handle. Despite a near-term rise in bullish momentum bolstering the Fiber, EUR/USD remains well back from recent multi-year highs near 1.1575. The pair has found a firm technical floor from key moving averages, and overall market sentiment remains hopeful that traders will be able to keep finding reasons to hit the buy button. Tariffs dominate market perception, but US data looms aheadEuropean policymakers are currently wrapped up in G7 meetings, minimizing the trickle of noteworthy...
GBP/USD edged higher on Tuesday (5/20), edging closer to (but still not quite reaching) the 1.3400 level. Cable is heading into a series of key inflation and business outlook data releases, with UK Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation due on Wednesday, with UK and US Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) surveys due on Thursday. Trade headlines remain the main driver of global markets this week. Investors remain hopeful that a deal will be reached with the US that would prompt the Trump administration to move the tariff weapon away from its own economy, but the steady march into the unknown is...
The Japanese Yen (JPY) continued to strengthen against the US Dollar (USD) on Tuesday (5/20), marking a second straight day of gains amid broad USD weakness, although the USD/JPY pair traded flat near 144.75 during American hours. The pair dipped to an intraday low of 144.09 during early Asian trading hours before bouncing back during the European session. In contrast, the US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the USD against a basket of six major currencies, remained subdued for the second day as sentiment weakened following Moody's downgrade of the US credit rating from Aaa to...
Oil prices were little changed on Tuesday (215) on uncertainty in U.S.-Iran negotiations and Russia-Ukraine peace talks, while new government data provided a cautious outlook for the economy of China, a major crude importer. Brent crude futures fell 16 cents, or 0.2%, to settle at $65.38 a barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 13 cents, or 0.2%, to settle at $62.56. Iranian Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said U.S. demands that Tehran halt uranium enrichment were "excessive and outrageous," casting doubt on whether talks on a new nuclear deal would...
Gold rose 2% to above $3,285 an ounce on Tuesday, boosted by a weaker U.S. dollar and rising geopolitical uncertainty. The dollar extended its decline after the Federal Reserve sounded cautious about the economy and Moody's downgraded the U.S. credit rating to Aa1, citing rising debt burdens. A weaker dollar makes gold more affordable for international buyers, boosting demand. Investor sentiment was further shaken by ongoing uncertainty over U.S. tariff policy and a key vote on President Trump's massive tax cuts. Geopolitical tensions also contributed to safe-haven inflows after...