Analysis: Currencies

Fed rate cut bets rise after Powell doesn't rule out July 

Financial market bets rose that the Federal Reserve could start interest-rate cuts as soon as this month after Fed Chair Jerome Powell, asked if July was too soon to consider rate cuts, said he can't...

Powell reiterates Fed will wait for more data before cutting rates

SINTRA, Portugal -U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Tuesday reiterated the U.S. central bank plans to wait and learn more about the impact of tariffs on inflation before lowering interest...

Euro zone factory orders stabilise for first time in 3 years, PMI shows

LONDON -Euro zone manufacturing activity showed further signs of recovery in June as new orders stopped falling for the first time in more than three years, suggesting a tentative stabilisation in...

Former RBNZ Acting Governor Spencer appointed to central bank's board

Former Reserve Bank of New Zealand Acting Governor Grant Spencer has been appointed to the central bank's board for a five-year term, effective July 1, Finance Minister Nicola Willis said on...

Dollar pares losses against euro and Swiss franc after better-than-expected US jobs data

NEW YORK -The U.S. dollar gained ground against major currencies including the yen and the Swiss franc on Tuesday after data showed a better-than-expected increase in labor market demand, indicating...

White House says Trump wrote Powell to urge lower rates

WASHINGTON -U.S. President Donald Trump wrote Fed Chair Jerome Powell urging him to lower interest rates, White House press secretary Karoline Leavitt told reporters on Monday. Leavitt,...

Trump administration eyes Fed vacancy in early 2026 to appoint Powell successor, Bessent says

The Trump administration is considering using the next expected Federal Reserve Board of Governors vacancy in early 2026 for appointing a successor to central bank Chair Jerome Powell, Treasury...

The euro's big beautiful moment    

LONDON -What matters in U.S. and global markets today Investors are keeping a wary eye on the progress of President Donald Trump's One Big Beautiful U.S. tax-cutting and spending bill...

Currencies: Donald, a misunderstood genius?

The easing of bond yields in recent weeks, despite sometimes complex geopolitical news, is helping the US government and weighing on the dollar at the same time. That said, it would be too early to...

French minister calls for extension of EU-US trade talks

PARIS -France's finance minister has called for extending EU-U.S. trade talks beyond the July 9 deadline in order to secure a better agreement. U.S. President Donald Trump has set the...

World economy faces 'pivotal moment', central bank body BIS says

LONDON -Trade tensions and fractious geopolitics risk exposing deep fault lines in the global financial system, central bank umbrella body the Bank for International Settlements, said in its latest...

Fed says banks can withstand economic downturn, clears way for dividend hikes

WASHINGTON -Twenty-two of the largest banks in the U.S. are well-positioned to weather a hypothetical severe economic downturn and continue lending, with firms maintaining robust capital levels even...

Summertime data to pave way for Fed rate cuts, or further conflict with Trump

WASHINGTON -An unexpected pickup in underlying inflation last month nudged price pressures further from the Federal Reserve's 2% target, putting this summer's data in the spotlight for whether the...

US consumer spending falls; tariff-related boost to inflation awaited

WASHINGTON -U.S. consumer spending unexpectedly fell in May as the boost from the pre-emptive buying of goods like motor vehicles ahead of the Trump administration's tariffs faded, while monthly...

Dollar question hovers over top central bankers meeting in Sintra

FRANKFURT -A million-dollar question will hang over the world's top central bankers when they meet in Sintra, Portugal, next week: Is the monetary system centred on the U.S. currency beginning to...

S&P 500, Nasdaq hit record closing highs amid trade negotiations, rate cut bets

NEW YORK -Wall Street extended its rally on Friday, sending S&P 500 and Nasdaq to all-time closing highs as trade deal hopes fueled investor risk appetite and economic data helped solidify...

Dollar gains as Trump reignites trade concerns

NEW YORK -The dollar retraced earlier losses against the euro on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States was ending trade talks with Canada and that he would consider bombing...

US demand for China-made goods ebbs on tariff worries; ocean shipping rates drop

LOS ANGELES -Rates for shipping cargo containers from China to the U.S. have dropped by more than half since earlier this month, as imports rebounded less than expected after the slump that followed...

Market bets on a more dovish Fed as Trump eyes Powell's replacement

NEW YORK -The gulf between where the Federal Reserve projects interest rates will be by the end of 2026 and the more aggressive cutting financial markets expect by then is partly due to the...