The dollar surged to a five-month peak against major currencies on Tuesday, driven by stronger-than-anticipated U.S. retail sales figures, igniting concerns over potential intervention from Tokyo as the yen dwindled to its lowest level since 1990. Despite China’s first-quarter GDP data surpassing expectations, the Chinese yuan slightly declined, reflecting ongoing …
Read More »Oil prices rise on China growth, Middle East tensions
Oil prices experienced a rise on Tuesday, buoyed by stronger-than-expected economic growth in China and escalating tensions in the Middle East following Iran’s recent missile and drone attack on Israel. Brent futures for June delivery advanced by 20 cents, or 0.2%, reaching $90.30 a barrel, while U.S. crude futures for …
Read More »Asian stocks tumble on US rate jitters, China GDP helps soothe losses
Asian stocks experienced significant declines on Tuesday, mirroring the sell-off on Wall Street amid ongoing concerns about geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and the prospect of prolonged higher interest rates in the United States. Despite the general downturn, Chinese equities fared relatively better following the release of GDP data …
Read More »US Retail Sales rise in March
The US Census Bureau revealed on Monday that Retail Sales in the US experienced a 0.7% increase in March, reaching $709.6 billion. This figure follows a revised 0.9% rise (originally reported as 0.6%) in January and surpassed market forecasts of 0.3%. Excluding automobile sales, Retail Sales surged by 1.1% during …
Read More »European stocks start the week cautiously amid geopolitical tensions
European stocks saw gains on Monday, with defense shares leading the charge, as investors weighed the broader implications of escalating tensions in the Middle East. Optimism surrounding potential interest rate cuts also contributed to the improved market sentiment. The European STOXX 600 index edged up by 0.1 percent, with the …
Read More »Oil declines after an Iranian attack on Israel
Oil prices dropped as Asian markets opened on Monday, as market participants reduced risk premiums following an Iranian attack on Israel late Saturday, which the Israeli government stated caused limited damage. By 1256 GMT, Brent crude futures for June delivery declined by 24 cents to $90.21 a barrel, while West …
Read More »Nikkei index declines on the back of the Iranian attack and the selling on Wall Street
Japan’s Nikkei blue-chip index fell on Monday as investors rushed to sell stocks after escalating violence in the Middle East and a sell-off on Wall Street at the end of the week. Shares of the Japanese semiconductor sector followed their American counterparts in decline after a media report stated that …
Read More »Gold rises with increased demand due to tension in the Middle East
Gold prices climbed on Monday, lingering just below the previous session’s record high, driven by escalating tensions in the Middle East that bolstered demand for the precious metal as a safe haven. As of 0056 GMT, spot gold rose by 0.3 percent to $2,350.59 per ounce, following its historic peak …
Read More »Financial Markets’ Weekly Recap
US Inflation Surges: CPI Hits 3.5% in March In the latest update from the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS), inflation in the US, as gauged by the Consumer Price Index (CPI), demonstrated a notable uptick. March saw a year-on-year increase to 3.5%, up from February’s 3.2%, surpassing market forecasts …
Read More »High safe-haven demand fuels gold’s unprecedented gains
Gold prices surged on Friday, reaching an unprecedented peak and poised to mark weekly gains for the fourth consecutive week, driven by geopolitical tensions and economic concerns surrounding China, which spurred strong demand for the safe-haven asset. As of 0934 GMT, spot gold prices rose by 0.9 percent to $2,394.87 …
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