Oil prices fell on Wednesday after Russia agreed to US President Donald Trump's proposal that Moscow and Kyiv temporarily stop attacking each other's energy infrastructure, which could allow more Russian oil to enter the global market. Brent crude was down 23 cents, or 0.3%, at $70.33 a barrel by 0730 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was down 25 cents, or 0.4%, at $66.65. Russian President Vladimir Putin on Tuesday agreed to stop attacking Ukrainian energy facilities but stopped short of a full 30-day truce that Trump had hoped for. "The agreement marks a positive step...
Gold (XAU/USD) prices continued its consolidative price movement near record highs through the first half of the European session (3/19) on Wednesday as investors braced ahead of the FOMC policy update. The Federal Reserve (Fed) will announce its decision later during the US session and is widely expected to keep the federal funds rate unchanged in the current range of 4.25% to 4.50%. Hence, the focus will remain on the accompanying policy statement and the latest economic projections, which include the so-called dot plot. Apart from this, Fed Chair Jerome Powell's comments at the...
The US Dollar Index (DXY), a measure of the value of the US Dollar (USD) against a basket of six major currencies, attracted some buyers around 103.50 during the early European session on Wednesday (3/19). Traders are preparing for the Federal Reserve's (Fed) interest rate decision later on Wednesday, with no change in interest rates expected. Fed officials' fresh economic projections will be closely watched as they could provide some clues on how policymakers view the possible impact of US President Donald Trump's administration's policies. Technically, the bearish outlook for the DXY...
The USD/CHF pair drew bids near a three-month low of 0.8750 during European trading hours on Wednesday (3/19). The Swiss franc pair strengthened as the US dollar (USD) rallied ahead of the outcome of the Federal Reserve's (Fed) two-day monetary policy meeting at 18:00 GMT. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the greenback against six major currencies, recovered near 103.70 from a five-month low of 103.20 hit the previous day. Investors expect the Fed to leave interest rates unchanged in the 4.25%-4.50% range for the second straight day as officials take time to gain clarity on US...
EUR/USD fell sharply to just below 1.0900 during the European session on Wednesday (3/19) after posting a fresh five-month high near 1.0955 the previous day. The major currency pair weakened as the US Dollar (USD) performed strongly ahead of the Federal Reserve (Fed) interest rate decision at 18:00 GMT. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback against a basket of six major currencies, jumped to near 103.70 after hitting a five-month low around 103.20 on Tuesday. According to the CME FedWatch tool, the Fed is almost certain to keep the benchmark lending rate unchanged in the...