Interest futures were heading for a bearish week on Friday as market participants grappled with escalating Middle East tensions and a less dovish Fed. Rising tensions in the Middle East sent oil prices higher, boosting Treasury yields. Meanwhile, some Fed policymakers took on a more hawkish tone during the FOMC meeting, increasing chances of rate Read More…
Oil prices jumped by over 6% on Wednesday after Trump said the US would maintain its blockade on the Strait of Hormuz. Tensions between the US and Iran have remained high since last week. Uncertainty about the future, stalled negotiations, and the ongoing disruptions to oil supply have all pushed prices higher. Brent Crude rally Read More…
Gold prices declined by 2% on Tuesday as Trump dashed hopes for an end to the Middle East war by rejecting Iran’s proposal. Tensions have remained high since last week, boosting the dollar and hurting gold amid rising safe-haven demand. Meanwhile, traders are gearing up for the FOMC meeting and for clues on future policy Read More…
Equities hit record highs on Monday amid optimism ahead of earnings reports from the Magnificent Seven US companies. However, uncertainty about US-Iran talks and the war kept a lid on gains. Meanwhile, market participants are looking forward to the FOMC policy meeting later this week. S&P 500 Weekly performance (Source: Seeking Alpha) Positive stocks recorded Read More…
Currency futures struggled last week amid a decline in risk appetite due to escalating tensions between the US and Iran. Meanwhile, the dollar gained as demand for safe-haven assets increased. Additionally, market participants paid attention to US sales data, which pointed to strong consumer spending. Risk appetite plunged when Iran seized two ships in the Read More…
Interest futures ended lower on Thursday as escalating tensions between the US and Iran sent oil prices higher. Inflation worries increased, sending Treasury yields higher. At the same time, the recent decline in expectations for Fed rate cuts has weighed on interest-rate futures. Tensions between the US and Iran escalated this week despite an extension Read More…
Oil prices soared on Wednesday after reports that Iran had seized two ships in the Strait of Hormuz. The news dampened optimism after Trump extended the ceasefire to allow Iranian leaders to agree on a proposal to end the war. WTI crude oil (Source: Heritage Petroleum) Uncertainty regarding the outcome of the US-Iran war has Read More…
Gold prices collapsed on Tuesday, weighed by a stronger dollar after upbeat US sales data. At the same time, investors preferred the safe-haven dollar amid uncertainty regarding a deal between the US and Iran to end the war. US sales (Source: US Department of Commerce) Data on Tuesday revealed that retail sales in the US Read More…
Equities ended lower on Monday after gapping down from the previous session’s close amid a sentiment shift. Stocks had recorded a solid week as hopes for an end to the Iran war boosted risk appetite. However, uncertainty returned with the new week, pausing the rally. S&P 500 performance (Source: LSEG, Prof G Media) The two-week Read More…
Currency futures recovered slightly on Monday after collapsing in the previous session amid an escalation of Middle East tensions. On Friday, currency futures had soared after Iran declared the Strait of Hormuz was fully open. However, this changed when the US seized an Iranian cargo ship over the weekend. The dollar collapsed on Friday as Read More…
