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...
Oil prices rose on Wednesday as the American Petroleum Institute reported a decline in U.S. crude inventories, and investors awaited the next steps in negotiations to end the Ukraine war, with sanctions on Russian crude remaining in place for now. Crude prices fell more than 1% on Tuesday amid optimism that a deal to end the war appeared closer. However, U.S. President Donald Trump acknowledged that Russian President Vladimir Putin may not want to reach a deal. Brent crude rose 55 cents, or 0.8%, to $66.34 a barrel at 08:12 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude for September delivery,...
Gold (XAU/USD) hits a nearly three-week low during the Asian session on Wednesday, with the bears now awaiting a sustained break below the 100-day Simple Moving Average (SMA) before positioning for further losses. The US Dollar (USD) is seen prolonging its steady uptrend for the third straight day amid diminishing odds for a more aggressive policy easing by the Federal Reserve (Fed). This, in turn, is seen as a key factor undermining the non-yielding bullion. Apart from this, hopes for a Russia-Ukraine peace deal exert additional downward pressure on the safe-haven Gold. Moving ahead,...
Silver prices slid toward $37 per ounce on Wednesday, marking their lowest level in more than two weeks as the dollar firmed ahead of key Federal Reserve events. Investors are awaiting the release of the July Fed meeting minutes, which will be closely scrutinized after the gathering saw the first policy dissents since 1993. Fed governors Christopher Waller and Michelle Bowman favored a quarter-point rate cut over leaving rates unchanged, underscoring divisions within the committee. Focus will then shift to Fed Chair Jerome Powell's remarks at the Jackson Hole symposium, with markets...
Oil prices were little changed on Wednesday as investors await the next steps in talks to end Russia's invasion of Ukraine, leaving in place sanctions on Russian crude and the chance of further restrictions on its buyers. Brent crude futures were at $65.90 a barrel, up 11 cents, at 0405 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures for September delivery, set to expire on Wednesday, were at $62.40 a barrel, up 5 cents. The more-active October contract was at $61.90 a barrel, up 13 cents. Prices settled down more than 1% on Tuesday on optimism a deal to end the war seemed closer, which...
Most Asian currencies edged lower on Wednesday as investors stayed cautious ahead of the Federal Reserve's Jackson Hole symposium for cues on the U.S. rate path and the timing of a possible September cut. Regional moves were also shaped by a busy data docket, with China holding its key lending rates steady, Japan's export slump underscoring external headwinds, and New Zealand easing policy as expected. The US Dollar Index, which measures the greenback against a basket of major currencies, edged 0.1% higher in Asia hours after gains in the previous session. RBNZ cuts rates by 25 bps; kiwi...