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 inched up on Wednesday as investors considered supply risks after the U.S. barred Chevron (NYSE:CVX) from exporting crude from Venezuela under a new asset authorisation, though expectations of more output from OPEC+ continued to limit gains. Brent crude futures rose 25 cents, or 0.4%, to $64.34 a barrel by 0345 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude gained 24 cents, or 0.4%, at $61.13 a barrel. The Trump administration has issued a new authorisation for U.S.-major Chevron that would allow it to keep assets in Venezuela but not to export oil or expand its activities,...
The Japanese yen weakened past 144.5 per dollar on Wednesday, marking its third straight session of losses as investors digested recent comments from top policymakers and developments in the bond market. BOJ Governor Kazuo Ueda noted that ongoing trade negotiations with the US are contributing to a highly uncertain outlook. He previously reiterated the central bank's willingness to adjust monetary policy as needed to ensure inflation targets are achieved. Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato added that authorities are closely monitoring conditions in the bond market. On Tuesday, both the yen...
The US dollar index rose to around 99.7 on Wednesday, extending gains from the previous session as improving US consumer confidence bolstered sentiment toward the greenback. Market optimism was further supported by President Trump's decision to delay a planned 50% tariff on the EU, easing concerns over escalating trade tensions and improving the outlook for US assets. Meanwhile, European leaders have reportedly asked top companies and CEOs to outline their US investment plans ahead of upcoming trade negotiations with Washington. On the monetary policy front, Minneapolis Fed President Neel...
Gold edged up after a two-day decline, as markets remained in wait-and-see mode despite data showing improving economic sentiment and signs of progress in trade talks. Bullion prices were trading near $3,309 an ounce after falling 1.3% on Tuesday as U.S. consumer confidence rose sharply in May from a near five-year low, signaling a more positive outlook for the economy and labor market. The dollar rose after the data, making bullion more expensive for most buyers. Investors also weighed improving trade relations between Washington and Brussels, with U.S. President Donald Trump saying he...
The EUR/USD pair dipped below 1.1400 for the second straight day, boosted by the recovery of the US Dollar (USD) following an upbeat Consumer Confidence report. Additionally, weak inflation data in France weakened the common currency, which was trading on Tuesday at 1.1335, down more than 0.40%. Risk appetite improved as market participants digested news that US President Donald Trump said trade talks between the United States (US) and the European Union (EU) were gaining strength following his threat of 50% tariffs last Friday. Although he backed off, leaving some room for negotiations, it...