Market Update

Oil prices extended losses on Friday, retreating for a second consecutive session as geopolitical risk premiums faded following the announcement of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas — the first phase of U.S. President Donald Trump’s peace initiative to end the Gaza war. By 10:16 GMT, Brent crude futures …

Bitcoin slipped slightly on Friday as traders took profits following its surge to all-time highs earlier in the week. While the world’s largest cryptocurrency remained buoyed by persistent optimism over U.S. rate cuts and seasonal “Uptober” enthusiasm, profit-taking and uncertainty surrounding the prolonged U.S. government shutdown tempered gains. Bitcoin declined …

U.S. stock index futures edged slightly higher on Friday, signaling a rebound after Thursday’s pause, as investors refocused on the powerful artificial intelligence momentum that has underpinned markets throughout the year. Optimism around sustained AI-related investment, coupled with expectations of Federal Reserve rate cuts, continued to bolster market sentiment despite …

European stock markets opened broadly unchanged on Friday, with gains in banking and automobile shares offsetting weakness in the healthcare sector, as investors remained focused on political developments in France. The pan-European STOXX 600 index was steady at 571.2 points by 07:12 GMT, on track for its third consecutive weekly …

Gold prices eased on Friday as investors engaged in profit-taking after the metal’s record-breaking rally earlier in the week. The announcement of a U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Hamas improved market sentiment, reducing demand for safe-haven assets and prompting a modest pullback across the precious metals sector. Spot gold fell …

In a week marked by mixed messages from top Federal Reserve officials, global currency markets turned their focus to the evolving tug-of-war inside the U.S. central bank. While Governor Michael Barr urged caution against rushing into further rate cuts, Mary Daly, President of the San Francisco Fed, struck a more …

Oil prices retreated on Friday as geopolitical tensions in the Middle East showed signs of easing. West Texas Intermediate, the US benchmark, slipped to around 61.20 dollars in early Asian trading, weighed down by reports of a ceasefire agreement between Israel and Hamas in Gaza.According to late Thursday updates, Israel …

In a move that shook the crypto world, Bitcoin dropped about 2% by the end of Thursday’s trading after reaching record highs. The decline followed profit-taking and a surprising action by one of the market’s biggest investors — a so-called “Bitcoin whale” — who opened one of the largest short …

The Canadian Dollar fell sharply on Thursday, hitting a six-month low against the U.S. Dollar as investors sought safety amid growing political gridlock in Washington. The ongoing U.S. government shutdown, now stretching into its ninth day, has deepened global risk aversion and pushed traders toward the Greenback, leaving the Loonie …

The head of the New York Federal Reserve said he supports additional interest rate cuts this year to protect the U.S. labor market from slowing momentum, even as inflation remains above the central bank’s target.In recent remarks, the policymaker emphasized that while the economy is not on the brink of …