The Nasdaq Composite rose 0.7% and the S&P 500 gained 0.3% on Friday, led by a 10.8% surge in Amazon shares after the company said cloud revenue climbed 20% in the third quarter and beat estimates, lifting tech names broadly. The Dow traded up 60 points. Palantir and Oracle added 3% and 2.8%, repsectively, on AI optimism and Nvidia also traded higher. Elsewhere, Netflix rallied 2.9% on an announced 10 for 1 stock split and Tesla jumped 3.1%. Energy names diverged as Chevron rose 1.9% on stronger earnings and Exxon Mobil slipped 1.5% after a profit decline. On the other hand, Meta fell...
The dollar index maintained its recent gains, holding around 107 on Wednesday, as President Donald Trump's escalating tariff threats fueled inflation concerns. On Tuesday, Trump announced plans to impose auto tariffs of around 25%, as well as similar duties on semiconductors and pharmaceutical imports. Geopolitical tensions also supported the dollar, particularly after the US excluded European nations from peace negotiations with Russia over the ongoing war in Ukraine. On the monetary policy front, Federal Reserve officials reaffirmed their cautious approach to further interest rate cuts,...
Gold edges lower in early Asian trade as traders weigh continued signs of strength in the U.S. economy against policy uncertainties that have fueled a surge in demand for the haven metal. "Trump's policies have proven to create an environment of strength," says Raddington Group CEO Yassin K. Fawaz. With inflation still above the Fed's target and the economy on solid footing, many now think interest rates will stay high for a while, dampening the appeal of non-interest-bearing assets like gold, he says. That said, Trump's approach to international relations and tough stance on trade is also...
The euro is set to end Tuesday's session (2/18) with a loss of more than 0.30% against the greenback as the S&P 500 hit a record high during the North American session. At the time of writing, EUR/USD is trading at 1.0445 below its opening price. Risk appetite has improved, but US President Donald Trump reiterated that he will impose a 25% tariff on imported cars. He added that he will announce major companies that will return to the United States, related to chips and cars. EUR/USD has recovered over the past few weeks amid progress in peace talks related to the Ukraine-Russia...
Oil prices rose on Tuesday as traders assessed the impact of a drone attack on Kazakhstan's main oil export route, while talks to end the war in Ukraine kept traders cautious as they could boost Russian supplies. Brent crude futures rose 61 cents to $75.83 a barrel by 1:38 p.m. EST, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose $1.10, or 1.6%, to $71.84 a barrel, tracking gains Brent posted on Monday, when the U.S. contract traded without settlement due to a holiday. Brent rose 48 cents in the previous session after Ukrainian drones attacked a pumping station in Russia on the Caspian...
Gold rose above $2,930 an ounce on Tuesday, marking a second session of gains and approaching a record high of $2,940 hit last week as uncertainty over U.S. tariffs continued to fuel demand for the safe-haven asset. Since taking office, Trump has imposed 10% tariffs on Chinese imports, announced but then delayed 25% tariffs on Mexican goods and non-energy imports from Canada, scheduled 25% tariffs on imported steel and aluminum, and is preparing reciprocal tariffs on any country that taxes U.S. imports. However, hawkish remarks from Federal Reserve officials capped further gains. Fed...