US stocks rebounded from early losses to close mostly higher on Friday amid hopes that Congress members were making progress toward ending the government shutdown. The S&P 500 and the Dow Jones closed 0.3% higher, while the tech-heavy Nasdaq closed near the flatline as AI giants remained under pressure. Senate Republicans rejected Democrats' offer to scale down shutdown demands, but lingering hopes of an incoming agreement improved risk sentiment before the closing bell. The suspension of operations and government data were evidenced by the deteriorating consumer confidence measured by...
The U.S. dollar fell against other major currencies on Monday, giving up some of the previous week's gains, as markets weighed the outlook for President Donald Trump's tariff policy and its potential to hurt growth and unleash inflation. The U.S. currency started the week on the back foot after Trump said on Friday that he planned to double duties on imported steel and aluminum to 50% from Wednesday, and as Beijing hit back against accusations it violated an agreement on critical minerals shipments. China's Commerce Ministry said on Monday the charges were "groundless," and promised to...
The crude oil market devotes considerable energy to what OPEC+ says, but perhaps a little less to what it actually does when it comes to the supply of the world's most important commodity. The eight members of the wider group that had implemented voluntary production cuts met at the weekend and decided to raise output by 411,000 barrels per day (bpd) in July, the third straight month of the same increase. More than half of the lift in output will be split among the big three of the OPEC+ group, namely Saudi Arabia, Russia and the United Arab Emirates. However, there are two questions that...
Gold prices rose to a more than a one-week high on Monday, driven by safe-haven demand as renewed U.S. tariff threats from President Donald Trump and escalating tensions between Russia and Ukraine heightened global trade and geopolitical fears. Spot gold was up 2% at $3,353.29 an ounce, as of 1128 GMT, after hitting its highest level since May 23, earlier in the session. U.S. gold futures rose 1.9% to $3,378.40. The dollar (.DXY), opens new tab was down 0.6% against its rivals, after Trump said on Friday that he plans to double duties on imported steel and aluminum to 50%, and as Beijing...
The U.S. dollar fell against other major currencies on Monday, giving up some of the previous week's gains, as markets weighed the outlook for President Donald Trump's tariff policy and its potential to constrict growth and unleash inflation. The greenback starts the week on the back foot after Trump said on Friday that he planned to double duties on imported steel and aluminum to 50% from Wednesday, and as Beijing hit back against accusations it violated an agreement on critical minerals shipments. China's Commerce Ministry said on Monday the charges were "groundless," and promised to...
Silver prices rose over 1% to around $33.40 per ounce on Monday, approaching two-month highs as escalating global trade tensions boosted demand for safe-haven assets. The move came after US President Donald Trump announced plans late Friday to double tariffs on steel and aluminum imports to 50%, effective June 4. China also rejected Trump's claims that it breached a trade agreement reached in Geneva last month—casting further doubt on the prospect of a call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The tariff announcement also comes amid an ongoing legal battle over the legality of...