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...
GBP/USD moves little after four days of losses, trading around 1.3410 during the Asian hours on Friday. The pair faced challenges as the US Dollar (USD) gained ground following the key economic data from the United States (US) released on Thursday. Traders await Fed Chair Jerome Powell's speech at the Jackson Hole Symposium in Wyoming to gain clues on the September policy outlook. The preliminary S&P Global US Composite PMI picked up pace in August, with the index at 55.4 versus 55.1 prior. Meanwhile, the US Manufacturing PMI rose to 53.3 from 49.8 prior, surpassing the market consensus...
Silver held firm above $38 per ounce on Friday after two consecutive sessions of gains, as investors awaited Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell's speech at the Jackson Hole symposium for signals on the interest rate outlook. Markets remain cautious that Powell could push back against expectations for a near-term rate cut. Futures currently imply about a 75% probability of a 25 basis point cut in September, down from more than 90% a week earlier. Kansas City Fed President Jeffrey Schmid argued that "modestly restrictive" monetary policy is still appropriate given inflation risks, while...
Oil was steady as the market weighed the outlook for Russian crude flows to India after a Trump administration official ramped up his criticism over the trade ahead of an expected tariff increase. Brent held below $68 a barrel, on track for the biggest weekly gain since early July, while West Texas Intermediate was near $63. White House trade adviser Peter Navarro blasted India again for continuing to buy Russian oil and said he sees US import levies on the nation doubling as planned on Aug. 27. "India doesn't appear to want to recognize its role in the bloodshed," he said....
Gold is steady in the early Asian trade. Market participants could remain cautious ahead of Fed Chair Powell's Jackson Hole address on Friday, says Fadi Al Kurdi, founder and CEO of FFA Kings in a commentary. "The uncertainty over whether he will signal a stronger commitment to supporting employment or reaffirm the fight against inflation could affect the market's direction," he adds. A more dovish stance could boost gold prices. Spot gold is flat at $3,338.31/oz. Source: Marketwatch
Oil was steady as the market weighed the outlook for Russian crude flows to India after a Trump administration official ramped up his criticism over the trade ahead of an expected tariff increase. West Texas Intermediate was near $63 a barrel, heading for a modest weekly gain. Brent closed below $68. White House Trade Adviser Peter Navarro said India "doesn't appear to want to recognize its role in the bloodshed," adding that he sees US import levies on the nation doubling as scheduled on Aug. 27. President Donald Trump has threatened to raise the duties on Indian imports to the...