Analysis: Currencies

Wall St subdued at open as investors await key inflation report

Wall Street's main indexes had a subdued open on Friday as investors avoided large bets and awaited a long-delayed key inflation report that could shape the Federal Reserve's policy path. ...

Japan's economy minister says up to BOJ to decide 'specific monetary policy means'

Japan's economic revitalisation minister, Minoru Kiuchi, called on the central bank to closely communicate with the government in setting monetary policy on Friday, but did not voice opposition to a...

BOJ expected to choose 'constructive ambiguity' on future rate hikes

Investors seeking clarity from the Bank of Japan on how much higher interest rates could go could be disappointed, former central bank officials say, as clear-cut estimates on neutral interest rates...

Dollar hovers near five-week low on Fed rate cut bets

The U.S. dollar languished not far from a five-week low against its major peers on Friday as investors braced for a Federal Reserve rate cut next week. The greenback was particularly...

Japan October household spending falls at fastest pace in nearly 2 years 

Japanese household spending unexpectedly slumped at the fastest pace in nearly two years in October, government data showed Friday, raising concerns about the economic outlook as the Bank of Japan...

Wall St opens higher as investors mull Fed rate cuts

Wall Street's main indexes opened slightly higher on Thursday as investors parsed a fresh batch of labor market data to gauge the odds of a much-anticipated Federal Reserve interest rate cut when it...

US weekly jobless claims dive to a more than three-year low

The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell to a more than three-year low last week, allaying fears of a sharp deterioration in labor market conditions after...

Russia blocks Apple's FaceTime in mounting push against foreign tech platforms

Russia has blocked Apple's video-calling app FaceTime, the state communications watchdog said on Thursday, as part of an accelerating clampdown on foreign tech platforms that authorities allege are...

BOJ likely to raise rates in December, government to tolerate move, sources say

The Bank of Japan is likely to raise interest rates in December with the government expected to tolerate such a decision, three government sources familiar with the deliberations said. ...

Brazil judge orders government to add JBS subsidiary to 'dirty list' for slavery

A federal labor judge in Brazil ordered the government to add a poultry unit of meatpacker JBS to a so-called dirty list of employers responsible for subjecting workers to slavery-like conditions,...

Lower interest rates would likely eliminate the need for 50-year mortgage, US Treasury adviser says

Lower interest rates would likely eliminate the need for a 50-year mortgage floated by President Donald Trump to boost housing affordability, Joseph Lavorgna, a counselor to U.S. Treasury Secretary...

US import prices unexpectedly flat in September

U.S. import prices were unexpectedly unchanged in September as high costs for consumer goods, excluding motor vehicles, were offset by cheaper energy products. The flat reading in import...

Fed data suggests central bank has stopped losing money

The Federal Reserve appears to have finally turned the corner on a three-year-long string of unprecedented loss-making tied to how it has implemented monetary policy in the wake of the COVID-19...

Wall St opens higher as markets mull Fed's next step

U.S. stocks opened higher on Tuesday, steadying after Wall Street's first pullback in more than a week in the previous session, on growing bets of rate cuts ahead of fresh inflation data later this...

Tariffs, AI boom could test global growth's resilience, OECD says

Global growth is holding up better than expected as an artificial intelligence investment boom helps offset some of the shock from U.S. tariff hikes, the OECD said on Tuesday, nudging up its outlook...

Currencies: How do you like them?

Although last week was somewhat shortened by Thanksgiving in the United States, currency traders still had a few statistics to sink their teeth into, on top of the turkey, of course.

US manufacturing stuck in doldrums as tariff headwinds persist

U.S. manufacturing contracted for the ninth straight month in November, with factories facing slumping orders and higher prices for inputs as the drag from import tariffs persisted. The...

Wall St opens lower ahead of Powell speech, manufacturing data

Wall Street's main indexes opened lower on Monday as investors stood on the sidelines ahead of fresh economic data and a closely watched speech from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell to gauge the...

US equity funds see first weekly outflow in six weeks

U.S. equity funds witnessed their first weekly outflow in six weeks in the week through November 26, as concerns over lofty tech valuations prompted investors to take profits and overshadowed...