Author: FX
Gold (XAU/USD) registers losses of over 0.70% on Friday as traders take profits, as in the last two weeks, data in the US has shown the labor market is not as weaker as expected. Therefore, traders are turning skeptical that the Federal Reserve (Fed) might go for two cuts, as reflected by the swaps markets. XAU/USD trades at $4,580 at the time of writing.Bullion retreats as resilient US data, easing geopolitical risks push traders to cut aggressive Fed easing betsMarket mood is turning negative as US President Donald Trump shook the markets, as he seems reluctant to nominate the National…
The New York Times is out with an article on Fed Chairman Jerome Powell:Powell cultivated deep Congressional ties anticipating political backlash.GOP Senators Tillis and Thune publicly backed the Fed Chair, support went beyond what Powell expectedEven critic Kevin Cramer credits Powell’s relationship-building skillsTrump may rethink his nominee choice amid Senate pushbackWhen the Justice Department launched a criminal investigation into Jerome Powell on Jan. 9, the White House likely expected the Fed Chair to fold but he fought back and appears to have won. Now the question is whether he’s more inclined to remain as a Fed governor for another two…
The Australian Dollar (AUD) trades on the back foot against the US Dollar (USD) on Friday, as resilient US economic data and hawkish-leaning Federal Reserve (Fed) rhetoric keep the Greenback firmly supported. At the time of writing, AUD/USD trades around 0.6684, down about 0.20% on the day and poised to end the week with marginal losses.The pair is struggling to attract buying interest after a run of upbeat US releases reinforced expectations that the Fed is likely to stick to a cautious, gradual easing path, diminishing hopes for near-term rate cuts. Data released this week showed that US labour-market conditions…
Oil prices are under some pressure after Trump writes:I greatly respect the fact that all scheduled hangings, which were to take place yesterday (Over 800 of them), have been cancelled by the leadership of Iran. Thank you!Iran is a brutal regime that’s quickly sentenced people to death for protesting poor economic conditions. It’s not clear if the US wants to get involved in a war though and we will be watching for signs. The consensus is that it will be much more difficult to dislodge the Iranian regime than what we saw in Venezuela.Oil prices fell earlier in the week…
Spot prices for lithium have experienced significant volatility to begin 2026, with Scotiabank analysts characterizing the recent surge as disconnected from underlying market fundamentals.Domestic Chinese lithium carbonate prices have risen 34% year-to-date, while spodumene prices have increased by 46%. The rapid rise has seen lithium carbonate move from approximately $18,000 per metric tonne to $23,000 per metric tonne in a single week. Futures markets have reacted similarly, trading at even higher premiums.Scotiabank’s analysis suggests this rally is not currently driven by end-user EV demand, but rather by regulatory changes in China. Specifically, Beijing’s decision to roll back value-added tax export…
The US Dollar (USD) lacked directional momentum this week amid geopolitical and local uncertainty. On the one hand, the United States (US) President Donald Trump continued threatening Iran with military interventions, taking down the tone by the week’s end, but noting that all options are still on the table. On the other hand, the Federal Reserve (Fed) is facing problems stemming from the lawsuit against Chairman Jerome Powell, keeping the USD unattractive to investors.USD Index: the US Dollar Index (DXY) ended the week with modest gains and is trading near 99.30, reaching a monthly high.On the datafront, the US will…
JasonDoiyNetflix’s (NFLX) fourth-quarter earnings report on Tuesday is likely to get overshadowed by the Warner Bros. Discovery (WBD) deal, amid the streaming giant’s heated battle with Paramount to take control of one of the iconic studios in Hollywood. Netflix, in December, first Source link
USD/JPY trades lower around 158.00 on Friday at the time of writing, down 0.40% on the day, as the Japanese Yen (JPY) regains some traction against the US Dollar (USD). The move reflects increased caution among investors, with intervention risks from Japanese authorities returning to the forefront after several weeks of persistent Japanese Yen weakness.On the US side, the US Dollar continues to be supported by still-robust fundamentals. Recent macroeconomic data confirm the resilience of the US economy, particularly in the labor market and consumer spending. Weekly Initial Jobless Claims published by the US Department of Labor fell to 198,000…
West Texas Intermediate (WTI) US Oil trades around $59.80 per barrel on Friday at the time of writing, up 1.60% on the day. The Crude Oil is recovering part of the ground lost over the previous two sessions as investors reassess geopolitical risks in the Middle East following more cautious remarks from the White House regarding Iran.US President Donald Trump said he had stepped back from the threat of military action after receiving assurances that no further executions would take place and that violence would subside. According to several sources cited by Reuters, Israel and other regional allies also urged…
GBP/USD flat near 1.3380 as strong data boosts the US DollarThe British Pound (GBP) trades sideways against the US Dollar (USD) on Friday during the North American session, after reaching a daily high of 1.3413, but solid US data released this week capped Sterling’s advance. GBP/USD trades at 1.3380 and continues to distance from the 200-day SMA key technical level at 1.3405. Read More…GBP/USD returns above 1.3400 as the US Dollar rally loses steamThe Pound is trimming losses against the US Dollar on Friday, with price action returning above 1.3400 ahead of the US session opening, up from Thursday’s lows near 1.3360.…