Three major US indexes closed at new record highs after a lower-than-expected inflation report raised the possibility of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut later this year and prompted investors to shift to riskier assets. The S&P 500 rose 0.8%, the Nasdaq rose 1%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 470 points. Technology stocks led the rally, with AMD and IBM surging 7.5% and 8.77%, respectively, after IBM said it had successfully implemented a key quantum error correction algorithm on AMD chips, boosting sentiment across the sector. Intel rose 1.6% after returning to...
Brent crude rose more than 2% to $81.50 a barrel on Monday (13/1), its highest in more than four months, as new U.S. sanctions on Russia's energy sector raised concerns about supply disruptions. The sanctions, the most extensive yet, target major exporters, insurers and more than 150 tankers, sending major buyers such as India and China scrambling for alternatives. The move has caused confusion, with Chinese refiners holding emergency meetings and Indian refiners bracing for months of potential disruptions. Early signs of disruptions include sanctioned tankers stuck off the coast of China,...
Silver prices fell to around $30.2 an ounce on Monday, reversing some of last week's gains, as the dollar strengthened following stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs data. The data dampened expectations for further interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year, and a stronger dollar makes dollar-denominated commodities like silver more expensive for buyers holding other currencies, dampening demand. Looking ahead, investors are focused on U.S. inflation data this week for further insight into the Fed's policy direction. Despite the recent pullback, silver jumped nearly 3% last week,...
The Japanese Yen (JPY) remained firmer against its peers for the third straight day, despite the lack of follow-through amid faltering expectations for a Bank of Japan (BOJ) rate hike. Widespread inflationary pressures in Japan keep the case for the next BOJ rate hike in January or March open. That said, some investors expect the BOJ to wait until April to seek confirmation that the strong wage momentum will continue into spring negotiations. This, in turn, is holding back JPY investors from placing aggressive bets. Further, the recent widening in the US-Japan yield differential,...
Gold (XAU/USD) prices reversed a modest Asian session decline to the $2,679 area and is currently trading just below a one-month high touched on Friday, though the upside seems limited. The upbeat US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report reinforced market expectations that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will pause its interest rate-cutting cycle later this month. This, coupled with persistent geopolitical risks, dampened investors' appetite for riskier assets, which was evident from a softer tone around equity markets and acted as a tailwind for the safe-haven precious metal. Meanwhile, hawkish Fed...
Gold price (XAU/USD) attracts some sellers during the Asian session on Monday and for now, seems to have snapped a four-day winning streak to the $2,700 neighborhood, or a one-month high touched on Friday. The upbeat US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report reinforced market expectations that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will pause its rate-cutting cycle later this month. This keeps the US Treasury bond yields elevated near their highest level in over a year and the US Dollar (USD) near a two-year peak, which, in turn, exerts some pressure on the non-yielding yellow metal. Meanwhile, hawkish Fed...