US stocks rose on Friday (October 17th) as investors reacted positively to President Trump's remarks alleviating concerns about further trade escalation with China, while regional bank stocks rebounded after Thursday's sharp declines. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq each rose 0.5%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 239 points. Trump said his proposed 100% tariffs on Chinese goods would be unsustainable, although he blamed Beijing for recent trade tensions, and confirmed that his meeting with Chinese President Xi Jinping was still possible at the end of the month. Consumer staples,...
Oil prices drifted higher Thursday, trading near two-week highs as traders digested an interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve amid worries of slowing U.S. growth. At 04:55 ET (08:55 GMT), Brent oil futures for November gained 0.2% to $68.10 a barrel and West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 0.3% to $64.23 a barrel. Crude prices had steadily advanced this week as continued military action between Russia and Ukraine spurred concerns over disruptions in Russian oil output. Speculation over more western sanctions on Russia's oil industry also buoyed prices. A softer dollar, which...
Gold prices extended declines in Asian trading on Thursday, slipping from record highs as the U.S dollar rebounded after the Federal Reserve lowered interest rates in a widely expected move and signalled a measured approach to further policy easing. Spot gold fell 0.7% to $3,635.55 an ounce by 02:24 ET (06:24 GMT), extending a nearly 1% loss from the previous session, where it reached a fresh record high of $3,707.40/oz. U.S. Gold Futures for December delivery dropped 1.3% to $3,670.45. Fed lowers rates by 25bps, cautious on future easingThe Fed lowered its benchmark rate by 25 basis...
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the value of the US Dollar (USD) against six major currencies, has lost its daily gains and is trading around 97.00 during the European hours on Thursday. Traders will likely observe weekly US Initial Jobless Claims later in the North American session. However, the US Dollar (USD) gained support from strong inflation projections that have curbed expectations of more aggressive Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC) rate cuts. The Federal Reserve (Fed) lowered the funds rate by 25 basis points (bps), marking the first cut of the year. A Summary of...
Silver slipped below $41.5 per ounce on Thursday, falling for a third consecutive session after the US Federal Reserve delivered a widely expected quarter-point rate cut but struck a more cautious stance on further easing than markets anticipated. The Fed signaled two more reductions this year but only one in 2026, pushing back against expectations for two or three cuts next year. Chair Jerome Powell described the move as "risk management" in response to labor market weakness, while emphasizing there is no urgency to accelerate cuts. Elsewhere, the Bank of Canada also lowered its policy...
The Japanese Yen (JPY) edges lower during the Asian session on Thursday in reaction to the weaker-than-expected release of Core Machinery Orders data from Japan. This, along with a further US Dollar (USD) recovery from the post-FOMC swing low to the lowest level since February 2022, acts as a tailwind for the USD/JPY pair . Moreover, concerns that domestic political uncertainty could give the Bank of Japan (BoJ) more reasons to delay raising interest rates, along with the underlying bullish sentiment, seem to undermine the safe-haven JPY. Meanwhile, the US Federal Reserve's (Fed) dovish...