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...
Oil prices took a breather in Asian trade on Wednesday after the previous session's spike of more than 3%, as investors awaited developments from U.S. President Donald Trump's tighter deadline for Russia to end the war in Ukraine. Most active Brent crude futures rose 8 cents, or 0.12%, to $71.81 a barrel by 0419 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained 8 cents, or 0.12%, to $69.29 a barrel. The Brent crude September contract expiring on Wednesday was up 18 cents at $72.69 per barrel. Both contracts had settled on Tuesday at their highest since June 20. On Tuesday, Trump said...
Gold prices edged up on Wednesday, supported by lower Treasury yields and a slight pullback in the dollar, while investors await the Federal Reserve's policy decision later in the day for guidance on the monetary policy trajectory. Spot gold was up 0.1% at $3,328.65 per ounce as of 0422 GMT. U.S. gold futures rose 0.1% to $3,326.10. "There could be a chance that the Fed may start to tilt towards the dovish side of the pendulum, and that is being portrayed on the Treasury yields," OANDA senior market analyst Kelvin Wong said, adding that dollar strength has also eased for now. The U.S....
The Japanese Yen (JPY) edges higher against the retreating US Dollar (USD) during the Asian session on Wednesday and moves away from a one-week low touched the previous day. The upside for the JPY, however, seems limited as traders might opt to move to the sidelines ahead of key central bank events. The Federal Reserve (Fed) will announce its decision at the end of a two-day meeting later today. This will be followed by the Bank of Japan (BoJ) policy update on Thursday. Given that both central banks are expected to keep interest rates steady, investors will look for cues about the policy...
Gold hovered around $3,320 an ounce on Wednesday, staying near a three-week low as easing trade tensions reduced the metal's safe-haven appeal. The US–EU agreement, which imposed a 15% tariff on most European goods, helped avert a broader trade conflict. With additional ongoing talks with Canada, South Korea, and others, investors are increasingly optimistic that further escalations can be avoided. Meanwhile, the US and China are continuing discussions to extend a tariff truce set to expire in two weeks, with President Trump expected to make the final decision on any extension. Investors...
The Australian dollar edged higher to above $0.651 on Wednesday, ending its four-session losing streak, as a weaker US dollar outweighed soft domestic inflation figures. The greenback eased ahead of the Federal Reserve's policy decision, with expectations for a rate hold, though markets remained cautious about any signals hinting at a possible cut in September. In Australia, consumer prices rose at the slowest pace in over four years in Q2, with headline CPI at 0.7% QoQ and 2.1% YoY, and core inflation easing to a three-year low of 2.7% YoY—both below forecasts and within the RBA's 2–3%...