The U.S. dollar advanced for the second consecutive day on Wednesday, buoyed by strong economic data that pushed bond yields higher and diminished expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts in 2025. U.S. job openings rose unexpectedly in November, while December’s services sector activity showed notable acceleration. Additionally, a surge in …

Consumer sentiment in Japan took a hit in December, as per a government survey released on Wednesday. The decline raises questions about the Bank of Japan’s (BOJ) optimism that robust household spending will drive the economy and support future interest rate hikes. The sentiment index fell to 36.2 in December, …

European stocks saw modest gains on Wednesday, driven by advances in heavyweight healthcare and financial sectors, while investors remained attuned to global monetary policy signals in the New Year. The pan-European STOXX 600 rose by 0.2% as of 08:21 GMT, maintaining its position near a three-week high. Financial services led …

Oil prices gained on Wednesday, supported by tightening supplies from Russia and OPEC members, along with robust U.S. economic data suggesting potential growth in oil demand. Brent crude rose 0.5% to $77.42 per barrel by 07:30 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude climbed 0.6% to $74.69. A Reuters …

Bitcoin continued its downward trajectory on Wednesday, erasing the entirety of its recent rebound as concerns over slower-than-expected interest rate cuts in 2025 rattled risk-driven assets. After briefly surpassing the $100,000 mark during a recovery from a late-December slump, the world’s largest cryptocurrency saw sharp losses on Tuesday and Wednesday. …

Germany’s annual inflation accelerated more than forecast in December, driven by surging food prices and a smaller decline in energy costs compared to recent months. Preliminary data from the federal statistics office revealed that the annual consumer price inflation rate climbed to 2.8%, surpassing the 2.6% predicted by analysts polled …

The UK economy is projected to expand by 1.5% in 2025, a notable improvement from the 0.9% growth recorded last year, according to analysts at UBS. In their latest report, they attributed this expected rebound to a “less contractionary fiscal policy,” which could provide the British economy with significant momentum. …

Oil prices extended their losses for a second consecutive session on Tuesday as optimism over global demand faded. Brent crude futures dipped by 0.2% to $76.08 per barrel, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude slipped 0.3% to $73.31 per barrel as of 0804 GMT. This decline follows a drop …

European stock markets dipped on Tuesday, reversing some of Monday’s strong gains ahead of crucial eurozone inflation data. At 03:10 ET (08:10 GMT), Germany’s DAX fell 0.1%, France’s CAC 40 slipped 0.3%, and the U.K.’s FTSE 100 dropped 0.7%. Monday had seen impressive gains across European bourses, with the CAC …

Bitcoin extended its rally on Tuesday, re-entering six-digit territory after recovering from a year-end slump. The cryptocurrency gained momentum from both institutional buying and anticipation surrounding President-elect Donald Trump’s upcoming policies. Bitcoin Performance Price as of 01:02 ET (06:02 GMT): $101,711.6 Daily Increase: 2.1%, briefly surpassing $102,000 earlier in the …