The Bank of Japan raised its inflation forecast but kept interest rates unchanged at -0.1% and warned of risks to the economy, cementing its position as an outsider in the global central bank’s tightening wave. The decision came hours before the European Central Bank, which will consider a larger-than-expected 50 …
Read More »Gold nears one-year low as interest rate hike looms
Gold prices fell on Thursday to their lowest levels in nearly a year, as prospects for an interest rate hike by major central banks to curb spiralling inflation weighed on the precious metal’s allure. Although gold is considered a hedge against inflation, higher interest rates increase the opportunity cost of …
Read More »Netflix loses nearly 1 million subscribers
The media world breathed a huge sigh of relief Tuesday, especially in streaming as Netflix’s second-quarter earnings report revealed the company lost 970,000 subscribers. And while that is a big number — the biggest subscriber loss in the company’s 25-year history — it is also a little less than half …
Read More »Turkish lira is at its lowest level since December crisis
On Tuesday, the Turkish lira fell as low as 17.579 against the US dollar. The dollar’s strength and concerns about rising domestic inflation and low-interest rates pushed the currency to its weakest levels since a major currency crisis in December. Since the historic crash last year, the central bank has …
Read More »European shares rise as fears of energy supply ease
European shares hovered near six-week highs on Wednesday, July 20, as concerns over energy supplies eased after a report that Russian gas supplies would resume on schedule, while markets focused on Italian Prime Minister Mario Draghi’s speech to parliament amid a political crisis. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index rose 0.4% …
Read More »US oil inventories rose by 1.9 million barrels
The American Petroleum Institute said that crude oil inventories rose by 1.9 million barrels in the week ending on the fifteenth of July. The weekly report of the American Institute revealed that gasoline stocks rose by 1.3 million barrels last week, while distillate stocks decreased by 2.2 million barrels. The …
Read More »Japan’s Nikkei hits 6-week peak
Japanese stocks extended gains on Tuesday, albeit with modest performance, as investors refrained from any big moves ahead of the Bank of Japan’s monetary policy meeting, despite diminishing expectations for a large interest rate cut in the US central bank. The Nikkei index started its trading, up 0.8 percent, to …
Read More »Gold falls on interest rate hike fears, bond yields rise
Gold fell on Wednesday as fears of monetary policy tightening and an increase in Treasury yields dispelled relief from the dollar’s decline. By 0610 GMT, gold fell in spot transactions 0.3 percent to $1,706.85 an ounce. US gold futures fell 0.3 percent to $1,706 an ounce. The dollar fell for …
Read More »Putin: Gazprom is ready to fulfill its gas export obligations
Russian President Vladimir Putin said on Tuesday that the Kremlin-controlled energy giant Gazprom was ready to fulfill its commitments on gas exports. Speaking to reporters after his visit to Tehran, Putin also said that Gazprom was not responsible for reducing gas transportation capacity, including the closure of one of the …
Read More »UK annualized inflation accelerates by 9.4% in June
The UK Consumer Prices Index (CPI) 12-month rate came in at 9.4% in June when compared to 9.1% seen in May while beating estimates of a 9.3% print, the UK Office for National Statistics (ONS) reported on Wednesday. Meanwhile, the core inflation gauge (excluding volatile food and energy items) eased …
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