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 was steady on Wednesday but poised for its weakest monthly performance since November 2022 as erratic U.S. trade policies under President Donald Trump left the greenback vulnerable while boosting the euro, yen and Swiss franc. The White House has retreated several times on the sweeping tariffs Trump unveiled in early April that led to a global stock market meltdown and prompted investors to flee the normally safe-haven U.S. dollar and Treasury debt. Trump signed a pair of orders on Tuesday to soften the blow of his auto tariffs with a mix of credits and relief from other...
Oil prices tread water in Asian trade on Wednesday as uncertainty over U.S. trade policy and global economic growth kept traders negative on the outlook for demand, with weak Chinese manufacturing data adding to the mix. Prices were headed for a steep monthly loss in April as fears of slowing demand and increased supplies battered oil markets through the month. Prices had also briefly hit a four-year low earlier in April. Brent oil futures for June fell 0.1% to $64.18 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate crude futures steadied at $60.30 a barrel by 22:01 ET (02:01 GMT). Brent oil...
The Gold price (XAU/USD) extends the decline to near $3,315 during the early Asian session on Wednesday. The precious metal edges lower amid easing trade tensions and better risk sentiment in global markets. Traders will keep an eye on the US ADP Employment Change, Personal Consumption ExpendituresPrice Index (PCE) and the flash Q1 Gross Domestic Product (GDP) reports, which are due later on Wednesday. US President Donald Trump plans to soften the impact of his automotive tariffs by preventing duties on foreign-made cars from stacking with other tariffs and easing levies on foreign parts...
The USD/CHF pair traded around 0.8900 during the North American session on Tuesday (4/29), benefiting from a broader US Dollar (USD) strength. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick revealed a White House plan aimed at reducing tariffs on US automakers, supporting a mild recovery in global risk appetite. Meanwhile, the US Dollar Index (DXY) moved higher towards 99.30, supported by expectations that weaker labor market data and weak consumer confidence could steer the Federal Reserve (Fed) towards a more cautious policy stance. However, uncertainty remains around the US-China trade...
Oil prices fell about 2% to their lowest in two weeks on Tuesday as investors braced for OPEC+ to raise output and worried that U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs would hurt the global economy and slow demand for the fuel. Brent crude futures fell $1.61, or 2.4%, to settle at $64.25 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell $1.63, or 2.6%, to settle at $60.42. Both benchmarks posted their lowest closes since April 10. Trump's aggressive tariffs on U.S. imports have made it more likely the global economy will slip into recession this year, according to a majority of...