Stocks in the US closed higher on Wednesday, extending their recent momentum as growing expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut in September continued to lift sentiment. The S&P 500 gained 0.3% and the Nasdaq added 0.1%, with both indexes briefly hitting record highs, while the Dow Jones advanced 463 points. The rally built on Tuesday's surge, sparked by a softer-than-expected inflation reading that reinforced bets on monetary easing, with traders fully pricing in a September cut and some anticipating a 50 basis-point move. Sector gains were led by materials, healthcare, and...
Oil prices edged up slightly on Friday, recovering from a midday drop into negative territory following a report that OPEC+ was planning to hike production in August, but tumbled about 12% in the week in their biggest drop since March 2023. Brent crude futures settled at $67.77 a barrel, up 4 cents, or 0.1%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude finished up 28 cents, or 0.4%, at $65.52 a barrel. Four delegates from OPEC+, which includes allies of the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries, said the group was set to boost production by 411,000 barrels per day in August, following a...
Gold price tumbled over 1.50% on Friday amid an improvement in risk appetite, driven by several factors. The de-escalation of the Israel–Iran conflict, the trade agreement with China, and ongoing negotiations between the United States (US) and its peers to reach commercial deals were welcomed by investors, who had previously sought refuge in Bullion's safe-haven demand. The XAU/USD trades at $3,274 after hitting a daily high of $3,328. On Thursday, the White House announced that the US and China have formally signed a trade agreement, effectively ending the ongoing "trade war." US Commerce...
Gold (XAU/USD) is on the defensive heading into the weekend, pressured by a combination of mixed US data and improving global risk sentiment. The precious metal is trading below $3,300, down nearly 2% on the day, as safe-haven flows continue to unwind. Friday's core PCE inflation print showed a modest uptick in May, reinforcing the Fed's cautious stance and creating a murkier outlook for the timing of rate cuts. Meanwhile, the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index ticked higher in June, while inflation expectations softened, pointing to stable consumer outlooks.The release of the...
The dollar index fell to 97.1 on Friday, its lowest level since February 2022, extending this week's drop to almost 2%, driven by mounting expectations of Fed rate cuts. Chair Powell struck a notably dovish tone during recent congressional testimony, suggesting that in the absence of inflationary pressures from tariffs, the Fed would have continued its rate-cutting cycle. Reports also suggested that President Trump may announce his pick for the next Fed Chair as early as September or October, potentially creating a "shadow" leadership structure that could guide monetary policy in a more...
Gold futures slump on profit-taking and reduced safe-haven demand. Futures are down 1.8% at $3,287.20 a troy ounce. The precious metal is on track to finish the week nearly 3% lower on the sudden de-escalation in the Israel-Iran conflict, StoneX's Fawad Razaqzada says in a note. Investors have rotated funds out of safe-haven assets and instead into the racier tech sector, Razaqzada writes. Still, a pullback in gold prices might not be a bad thing. Gold's slide will allow technical overbought conditions on higher time frames to cool off, allowing the metal to shine again once macroeconomic...