Equities drifted lower on Monday as investors paused after Thanksgiving, anticipating crucial economic data during the bustling holiday shopping season. According to Adobe Analytics, Cyber Monday is projected to drive record spending of $12 billion, enticing shoppers with online deals. This upbeat sign reflects the strength of the American consumer, who contributes about 70% to Read More…
On Friday, currency futures rose on upbeat data while the dollar fell after US business activity data. However, currencies traded within a narrow range as US markets closed early following Thanksgiving. In November, US business activity remained stable. However, the private sector witnessed its first decline in almost three-and-a-half years, aligning with predictions of a Read More…
On Thursday, gold prices rose as the US dollar weakened, but investors stayed on the sidelines due to holiday-thinned trading and uncertainty about the Federal Reserve’s rate path. However, gold was heading for a second consecutive weekly gain. Financial markets in the past week witnessed declining yields and a weakening US dollar, which favor an Read More…
On Wednesday, oil prices dropped nearly 1% in a volatile session. OPEC+ unexpectedly postponed a meeting on production cuts from November 26 to November 30, fueling concerns about global crude supplies. The group, consisting of major producers like Saudi Arabia and Russia, was supposed to discuss the possibility of expanding oil output cuts into 2024. Prices Read More…
On Tuesday, US equities declined as the S&P 500 and Nasdaq ended their five-session winning streaks. Retailers faced losses due to disappointing outlooks, and technology shares also fell. The decline continued as minutes from the latest Federal Reserve meeting revealed a consensus among officials to approach raising US interest rates cautiously. The central bank indicated Read More…
On Monday, equities on Wall Street closed higher, with the Nasdaq leading the charge with a 1% rally, reaching its highest closing level since July 31. The S&P 500 also registered its highest close since Aug. 1. The Nasdaq rose because Microsoft hit a record high after hiring prominent artificial intelligence executives. Microsoft CEO Satya Read More…
Currency futures rose on Friday while the dollar experienced its second-largest weekly decline against major currencies this year. Concerns about the global economic outlook are growing. At the same time, cooler-than-expected US inflation data on Tuesday and Wednesday increased market expectations for an earlier Fed rate cut. This potential move, expected as early as the Read More…
Gold surged Thursday, with investors factoring in nearly 100 basis points of US interest rate cuts in the coming year. Thursday’s weak US economic data supported this expectation. Futures markets now indicate 98 basis points of Fed rate cuts for next year, up from 73 bps a week ago. US jobless claims (Source: US Labor Read More…
On Wednesday, oil prices plunged over 1.5% due to a larger-than-expected increase in US crude inventories. Concerns about demand in Asia also contributed to the decline. US crude stocks surged by 3.6 million barrels last week, reaching 421.9 million, significantly exceeding analysts’ expectations of a 1.8 million-barrel rise. Additionally, the weekly government data indicated that Read More…
Equities surged on Tuesday as US inflation data for October came in lower than expected. The data sparked investor confidence at the end of an era of interest rate hikes and the possibility of imminent reductions in borrowing costs. US inflation (Source: Bureau of Labor Statistics) Data revealed that US consumer prices remained steady in Read More…
