Market Update

The U.S. labor market showed unexpected weakness in February, with rising unemployment highlighting a slowdown in job creation and complicating the Federal Reserve’s policy outlook. Nonfarm payrolls declined by 92,000 jobs, far below expectations for a modest gain. Revisions to prior months also reduced reported payrolls by 69,000, mostly affecting …

Retail sales in the United States cooled slightly in January, recording a 0.2% month-on-month decline to $733.5 billion, following a flat reading in December. Despite this modest drop, sales came in above expectations, which had projected a 0.3% fall. On an annual basis, retail activity showed a 3.2% increase, reflecting …

U.S. employment data for February came in far below expectations, sparking renewed debate over the state of the labor market and the Federal Reserve’s next policy moves. The report’s standout feature was a noticeable slowdown in job growth.Nonfarm payrolls increased by only 92,000 jobs, a figure well below market forecasts, …

Federal Reserve officials have indicated that recent spikes in gas prices are unlikely to cause lasting inflationary pressure. While consumers may feel the pinch at the pump, the central bank expects these price jumps to be temporary and not derail overall economic stability.The Fed highlighted that short-term fluctuations in energy …

U.S. stock index futures moved lower on Friday, extending recent losses as escalating tensions in the Middle East and sharply higher oil prices dampened investor sentiment ahead of a key U.S. jobs report. By 05:35 ET (10:35 GMT), Dow Jones Futures declined 105 points, or 0.2%, while S&P 500 Futures …

Bitcoin declined in Asian trading on Friday but remained above the key $70,000 level, as investors stayed cautious amid escalating tensions in the Middle East and a surge in oil prices that is complicating the outlook for global inflation and interest rates. The world’s largest cryptocurrency was down 3.1% at …

The U.S. dollar edged lower on Friday but remained on track for solid weekly gains as escalating conflict in the Middle East boosted demand for safe-haven assets. By 04:10 ET (09:10 GMT), the U.S. Dollar Index, which measures the greenback against a basket of six major currencies, slipped 0.2% to …

Gold prices edged higher in Asian trading on Friday, but the precious metal remained on track for a weekly decline as a stronger U.S. dollar and rising Treasury yields offset safe-haven demand driven by escalating tensions in the Middle East. By 01:29 ET (06:29 GMT), spot gold rose 0.8% to …

Oil prices traded near flat in Asian trading on Friday after a sharp rally earlier in the week, with markets still on track for substantial weekly gains as escalating tensions in the Middle East stoked fears of global supply disruptions. By 01:49 ET (06:49 GMT), Brent crude futures for May …

Global oil markets have been jolted by a sudden surge in prices as crude climbed sharply and flirted with a fresh high above the $80 per barrel level for the first time since mid-2024. The move comes amid rapidly escalating tensions in the Middle East that have raised fears of …