Oil prices held steady on Thursday as markets balanced strong winter fuel demand expectations with concerns over rising U.S. fuel inventories and macroeconomic uncertainties. Brent crude futures dipped by 6 cents to $76.10 per barrel at 07:27 GMT. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures declined by 5 cents to $73.27 …

Gold prices steadied in Asian trade on Thursday after two consecutive days of gains, supported by safe-haven demand amid uncertainty over a hawkish Federal Reserve and concerns about President-elect Donald Trump’s potential trade tariff policies. Spot gold dipped slightly by 0.1% to $2,660.36 an ounce, while February gold futures gained …

China is bracing for an unprecedented travel surge during the upcoming Lunar New Year, with authorities predicting a staggering 9 billion domestic trips during the 40-day Spring Festival period starting January 14. This forecast, despite the country’s sluggish economic recovery, reflects a deep cultural tradition of family reunions during the …

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. …