The Japanese yen is trading at its highest levels against the US dollar in seven months, at 140.50, mid-European trading today, Tuesday, April 22, after testing 139.88 this morning. This comes as a result of the continued decline in the US dollar and the uncertainty surrounding global markets, which has led to a rise in safe-haven currencies, with the Japanese...
US markets registered losses in the opening session of the week on Monday, April 21, amidst the absence of European markets, which were closed for the Easter holiday. The impact of the trade war and tariffs continued, along with rising market concerns about Trump's interference in the independence of the Federal Reserve, following the US president's statements last week. Trump...
Gold traded above $3,390 an ounce in mid-European trading on Monday, April 21, the opening session of the week, amid a European market absence for Easter. Gold hit a new high early in the week, benefiting from continued market uncertainty and a decline in the US dollar index as investors assessed the repercussions and risks of Trump's interference in the...
Japanese indices closed higher on Friday, April 18, with the Nikkei index rising more than 1% to its highest level since mid-January, following a three-week losing streak. This was supported by optimism about a trade agreement with the United States regarding tariffs. Negotiations between Economy Minister Akazawa and the US administration in Washington appear to be making significant progress. In...
The European Central Bank decided at its meeting moments ago today, Thursday, April 17, to cut interest rates by 25 basis points, as expected, to 2.40%, while announcing that the inflation reduction process is on track. The bank's interest rate statement stated that inflation declined in March, with the services index declining significantly in recent months. Most indicators point to...
Crude oil prices recorded gains for the second consecutive session during mid-European trading today, Thursday, April 17, heading for weekly gains, the first in April, benefiting from concerns about Iranian supplies. Brent crude rose by about 0.80%, trading at $66.37 per barrel, while US crude (NYMEX) traded at $63.09 per barrel, up about 1.00%. The US Energy Information Administration report...
Australian unemployment rates rose to 4.1% in March, according to figures released by the Australian Bureau of Statistics (ABS) at the beginning of the Asian session today, Thursday. Expectations had been for a rise of around 4.2%, coinciding with an increase in the labor force participation rate to 66.8% from 66.7%. The Australian economy added approximately 32,200 jobs in March,...
The Bank of Canada kept its interest rate at 2.75% as expected at its meeting just moments ago, noting that the significant shift in US trade policy and the unpredictability of tariffs have increased uncertainty and weakened economic growth prospects. The Bank's interest rate report stated that the forecasts contained in its April Monetary Policy Report presented different scenarios. The...
Data released just moments ago from the US Census Bureau showed a rise in US retail sales, exceeding market expectations. Sales rose to $734.9 billion, a 1.4% increase compared to February's reading of 0.2% (1.3% expected), and a 4.6% year-over-year increase. Core sales, excluding auto prices, grew 0.5% in March, compared to a revised 0.7% increase in February. Sales at...
The Consumer Price Index (CPI), a measure of UK inflation, rose to 2.6% year-on-year in March, according to data released by the Office for National Statistics (ONS) this morning, compared to 2.8% in February, exceeding expectations of 2.7% growth. On a monthly basis, the CPI rose by 0.3% in March, compared to a rise of approximately 0.6% in March 2024....