European stocks fell after a sluggish session on Wall Street, weighed down by disappointing results from L'Oréal SA and Hermes International SCA. The Stoxx Europe 600 fell 0.3% as of 8:17 a.m. in London. The technology sector fell 1.2% after Texas Instruments Inc. provided a weaker-than-expected outlook, adding to concerns that the semiconductor industry's recovery is faltering. Meanwhile, mining and energy stocks led gains. Britain's FTSE 100 Index outperformed, rising 0.5%, as easing inflation reinforced expectations that the Bank of England will cut interest rates in the coming months....
Gold (XAU/USD) traded higher on Thursday, recovering some of its losses on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve's (Fed) monetary policy decision. At the time of writing, the precious metal had reached the $2,620 area after bouncing off a low of $2,580 the previous day. The Fed cut interest rates as expected but raised growth and inflation expectations and lowered its projection for rate cuts next year. This, coupled with an unusually hawkish tone from Fed Chair Jerome Powell, triggered a risk-off reaction, causing the US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the USD against a basket of six...
The US dollar eased slightly on Thursday, but remained near a two-year high after the Federal Reserve signaled a slower pace of interest rate cuts in 2025, while sterling strengthened ahead of the Bank of England's latest policy meeting. US dollar eases from two-year highs The dollar strengthened on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve cut its outlook for interest rate cuts in the coming year, after delivering on expectations for a rate cut. The US central bank's policymakers now see only 50 basis points of additional easing in 2025, instead of the 100 basis points indicated in their...
Gold (XAU/USD) price extended its goodish intraday recovery from one-month lows and climbed to a fresh intraday high, around $2,622 region during the early European session on Thursday. The global risk sentiment soured in reaction to the Federal Reserve's (Fed) hawkish interest rate cut on Wednesday. This, along with geopolitical risks and trade war fears, turned out to be the key factors driving safe-haven inflows towards the precious metal. Meanwhile, the US Dollar (USD) was seen consolidating the previous day's post-FOMC gains to a two-year high and did little to provide any impetus to...
Silver (XAG/USD) prices extended their decline for the sixth straight session, trading around $29.50 per troy ounce during Asian trading hours on Thursday (12/19). The grey metal depreciated more than 3% following the release of the Federal Reserve's (Fed) interest rate decision on Wednesday. The Federal Reserve (Fed) delivered a 25 basis point (bps) interest rate cut at its December meeting, bringing its benchmark lending rate to a range of 4.25%-4.50%, the lowest level in two years. Additionally, during the Press Conference, Fed Chair Jerome Powell made it clear that the Fed would be...
Oil prices fell in Asian trade on Thursday after the U.S. Federal Reserve signaled it would slow the pace of interest rate cuts in 2025, which could slow economic growth and reduce fuel demand. Brent crude futures were down 47 cents, or 0.6%, at $72.92 a barrel by 0515 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was down 39 cents, or 0.6%, at $70.19. The declines reversed most of the benchmark contracts' gains from Wednesday, when prices settled higher as U.S. crude stockpiles fell and the U.S. Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points as expected. Prices weakened after U.S....