Market Update

Oil prices started 2025 with modest gains on Thursday as investors cautiously assessed China’s economic outlook and fuel demand. President Xi Jinping’s pledge to adopt proactive policies aimed at boosting growth in 2025 provided some optimism to the market. Brent crude futures climbed by 0.21% to $74.80 per barrel, while …

Gold prices inched higher in Asian trading on Thursday, building on their robust performance in 2024 as a softer U.S. dollar lent support. However, investor caution lingered due to the U.S. Federal Reserve’s indications of fewer interest rate cuts in 2025. Spot gold rose by 0.3% to $2,632.82 per ounce, …

The China Foreign Exchange Trade System (CFETS), overseen by the People’s Bank of China, announced significant adjustments to the yuan’s CFETS basket weighting effective January 1, 2025. These changes reflect a strategic shift in China’s foreign exchange policy, aiming to diversify the yuan’s value away from over-reliance on the U.S. …

US stock indexes experienced a downturn on Tuesday, indicating a potential subdued finish for a year marked by significant gains. The S&P 500, after a brief initial rise, turned negative, declining by 0.6%. This follows two consecutive days of losses exceeding 1%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average also slipped, while …

The Treasury and State Departments said Tuesday that the Biden administration had placed additional penalties on Iranian and Russian organizations for their efforts to sabotage the 2024 election. In particular, the Treasury Department is enacting new sanctions against the Moscow-based Center for Geopolitical Expertise and its director, Valery Mikhaylovich Korovin, …

XAU/USD is trading above $2,600 per ounce as the year draws to a close, though upward momentum remains limited. Risk-off sentiment spurred by the year-end market slowdown has provided some support for gold prices.Trading activity has been subdued in recent days as investors prepare for the New Year’s holiday, with …

The cryptocurrency market experienced a remarkable surge in 2024, with the total market capitalization soaring to over $3.3 trillion, a nearly twofold increase from the previous year. Bitcoin, the dominant cryptocurrency, led this charge, gaining over 125% in value. This bullish sentiment was fueled by several key factors, including the …

In 2025, the Federal Reserve will undertake a comprehensive review of its monetary policy strategy and tools, a critical self-assessment conducted every five years. This review comes at a pivotal moment, following a period of historically high inflation and aggressive interest rate hikes.The previous framework update, conducted in 2020, introduced …

Oil prices concluded 2024 with a second consecutive year of losses, despite a modest increase on Tuesday. While Brent crude futures and US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude saw slight gains, they remain below their year-end 2023 levels, indicating a subdued market.The subdued price environment reflects a confluence of factors. …

China’s GDP is projected to grow by approximately 5% in 2024, aligning with the government’s formal growth target, according to President Xi Jinping. This reinforces confidence in the resilience of the world’s second-largest economy despite a year of economic uncertainty. Stability Amid Challenges: Speaking at a New Year event, Xi …