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...
The dollar index traded around 103.9 on Tuesday, holding onto losses from the previous session as uncertainty over the outcome of the US presidential election led traders to unwind some of their "Trump trade" positions. Recent polls suggest a tighter race between Kamala Harris and Donald Trump than initially expected, with market attention also focused on which party controls Congress, as a sweep could trigger significant changes in spending and tax policies. On the monetary policy front, the Federal Reserve is widely anticipated to announce a more cautious 25-basis-point rate cut on...
Oil edges lower in the Asian morning session due to a possible technical correction. Oil futures closed sharply higher Monday after members of OPEC+ said they would wait another month before starting to unwind 2.2 million barrels a day in production cuts. While the move may temporarily bolster oil prices, the U.S. presidential election is a critical factor in determining oil price trends, XS.com's Rania Gule says in an email. Investors are closely watching, as the economic policies of the new U.S. administration will directly affect global oil demand, the senior market analyst...
Gold prices are flat in early Asian trade on cautious mood ahead of the U.S. election later today and the Fed's rate decision this week, ANZ Research analysts say. Latest polls suggest a possible Harris win will weigh on the dollar and provide some support for the precious metal, they say. Meanwhile, the Fed is widely expected to lower rates when it meets later this week. Citi analysts point out that gold has historically unperformed following the U.S. elections due to fading hedging demand. However, Citi believes "the structural gold bull market remains intact and recommend buying into...
Oil futures finished sharply higher Monday after members of OPEC+ - made up of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies - said they would wait yet another month before beginning to unwind 2.2 million barrels a day in production cuts. Natural-gas prices, meanwhile, posted a gain of more than 4%, buoyed by an intensifying weather system, currently referred to as Tropical Depression 18, that may be heading to the Gulf of Mexico, putting oil-and-gas infrastructure at risk. West Texas Intermediate crude CL00 for December delivery CL.1 CLZ24 rose $1.98, or nearly...
Gold edged lower midafternoon as traders turn cautious with the dollar and yields falling ahead of tomorrow's U.S. presidential election and this week's interest-rate decision from the Federal Reserve. Gold for December delivery was last seen down US$3.00 to US$2,746.20 per ounce. The rise comes ahead of Tuesday's U.S. election, with polls showing a tight race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, as the two candidates offer much different economic policies. Harris is expected to continue much of the Biden Administration's policies while Trump plans blanket tariffs on imports. A...