Market Update

Key Takeaways Modest monthly gain: U.S. retail sales rose 0.5% in April to $757.1 billion, matching market expectations. March revised down: The prior month’s reading was revised to 1.6% from the initial 1.7%. Strong annual growth: Retail sales were up 4.9% year-on-year in April. Three-month trend: Total sales for February …

Key Takeaways Futures climb: Dow futures rose 396 points (+0.8%), S&P 500 futures gained 0.3%, and Nasdaq 100 futures added 0.3%. Records keep falling: The S&P 500 notched a fresh all-time peak Wednesday, while the Nasdaq Composite spiked 1.2%. Trump-Xi friendly tone: Trump hailed “extremely positive and constructive discussions” with …

Key Takeaways Pound slips: GBP/USD fell 0.01% to 1.3520, while EUR/USD eased 0.02% to 1.1712. Strong UK GDP: Q1 GDP grew 0.6% quarter-on-quarter, in line with expectations and up from Q4’s 0.2%. Annual surprise: GDP expanded 1.1% year-on-year, beating the 0.8% consensus. March defies forecasts: Monthly GDP rose 0.3% versus …

Key Takeaways Mixed gold action: Spot gold edged 0.3% higher to $4,700.25 per ounce, while U.S. gold futures eased 0.2% to $4,697.97. Sidelined investors: Traders largely stayed on the sidelines during the opening day of the two-day Trump-Xi summit. Xi’s positive tone: The Chinese president said both nations had made …

Key Takeaways Modest pullback: Brent crude fell 0.4% to $105.18 per barrel, while WTI slipped 0.7% to $100.33. Weekly gains intact: Both contracts are still set for sharp weekly gains despite Thursday’s dip. Conciliatory summit: Trump-Xi meeting wrapped after 2 hours 15 minutes, with leaders striking a friendly tone despite …

Key Takeaways Q1 GDP beats expectations: UK economy grew 0.6% quarter-on-quarter, accelerating from Q4 2025’s 0.2% rise. Annual growth strong: GDP rose 1.1% year-on-year in Q1 — well above the 0.8% expected. March defies forecasts: Monthly GDP rose 0.3% in March, beating expectations for a 0.1% drop despite the Iran …

Global currency markets witnessed a clear divergence in recent sessions as the US dollar extended its gains, supported by firm inflation data and expectations of a tighter monetary outlook. This strength has placed significant pressure on both the Japanese yen and the euro, while rising energy prices and mixed economic …

The cryptocurrency market faced a sharp reality check this week as Bitcoin tumbled from its recent peak of $82,145, breaking through the $79,000 support level to hit an intraday low of $78,704. With a daily performance decline of approximately 1.60%, the price has since stabilized around the $79,500 mark. This …

Federal Reserve Bank of Minneapolis President Neel Kashkari has reiterated that inflation remains “too high,” stressing that bringing price pressures back to the 2% target is still the central priority for policymakers.He emphasized that the Federal Reserve should not shift its inflation goal and warned that inflationary shocks continue to …

The U.S. Senate has confirmed Kevin Warsh as the new chair of the Federal Reserve in a closely watched vote, marking the start of a new leadership era for the world’s most influential central bank.The confirmation comes at a sensitive moment for the U.S. economy, as inflation remains persistent, global …