Analysis: Currencies

Trump studying whether to fire Fed Chair Powell, adviser says

WASHINGTON -White House economic adviser Kevin Hassett on Friday said President Donald Trump and his team were continuing to study if they could fire Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, a sign that...

China set to leave lending rates steady, but tariffs raise easing bets

China is widely expected to leave its benchmark lending rates unchanged at the monthly fixing on Monday, a Reuters survey showed, but markets are wagering on more stimulus being rolled out soon in the...

Trump amps up feud with Fed over rates, accuses Powell of 'playing politics'

U.S. President Donald Trump on Thursday launched a series of attacks against Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, accusing the central bank chief of playing politics by not cutting interest rates,...

Trump has discussed firing Fed's Powell with Warsh, eyed as possible successor, WSJ says

President Donald Trump has privately discussed firing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell for months and talked about it with former Fed Governor Kevin Warsh, including the possibility of then...

Tariffs to trigger sharp US economic slowdown; chance of recession jumps to 45%

An aggressive U.S. tariff policy will trigger a significant slowdown in the U.S. economy this year and next, with the median probability of recession in the next 12 months approaching 50%, according...

US Treasury in talks with federal agencies to ease bank oversight, Bloomberg News says

U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent is hosting private meetings with federal and other bank agencies as a part of his expanded effort to streamline oversight and coordinate plans to ease regulation,...

US labor market stable; tariffs depress single-family homebuilding

WASHINGTON -The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell to a two-month low last week, suggesting labor market conditions remained stable in April, though...

PIMCO bearish on dollar, long-term Treasuries as US safe-haven status wavers

U.S. bond giant PIMCO said protectionism in U.S. trade policy strengthened the case for dialing down exposure to the U.S. dollar and long-dated Treasury bonds, while greater reliance on foreign bond...

Russian Arctic oil exports to China jump helped by STS transfers, sources say

Russia's Arctic oil exports to China are set to rise sharply this month buoyed by a jump in ship-to-ship transfers at sea to ensure tankers pulling into port are not on U.S. sanctions lists, according...

BlueBay sells US dollars short, citing low investor confidence

RBC BlueBay Asset Management has opened short positions on the U.S. dollar, betting on the end of U.S. exceptionalism as President Donald Trump's trade war threatens to destroy decades of trust and...

BOJ to cut growth forecast as US tariffs hit, sources say

TOKYO -The Bank of Japan is set to cut its economic growth forecasts at its April 30-May 1 policy meeting as U.S. President Donald Trump's tariffs heighten risks to a fragile, export-reliant...

Powell says Fed remains in wait-and-see mode; markets processing policy shifts

U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell said on Wednesday the Fed would wait for more data on the economy's direction before changing interest rates, but cautioned that President Donald Trump's...

Fed Chair Powell: Cutting discretionary federal spending will not fix US debt problem 

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Wednesday reiterated the long-held view of Fed chairs going back decades that growth in the U.S. federal debt needs to be reined in, but he suggested that...

Powell does not think Trump's labor board firings case will apply to Fed

The legal case before the Supreme Court over President Donald Trump's firing of two Democrats from federal labor boards does not likely apply to the Federal Reserve, the head of the U.S. central bank...

Fed's Powell says markets orderly, downplays intervention risk

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell suggested on Wednesday that hopes the central bank will step in to tamp down on market volatility are likely misplaced. Asked if the Fed would...

Bank of Canada holds rates, says it will act decisively if need be

OTTAWA -The Bank of Canada on Wednesday held its key policy rate at 2.75%, its first pause after seven consecutive cuts, and said it would be ready to act decisively if needed to keep inflation under...

Bank of Canada holds benchmark rate steady at 2.75%

TORONTO -The Bank of Canada on Wednesday held its benchmark interest rate at 2.75%, its first pause after seven consecutive cuts. MARKET REACTION: [CAD/] LINK: ...

US manufacturing output slows in March; tariffs cloud hangs over factories

U.S. manufacturing production rose moderately in March and could decelerate further amid President Donald Trump's global tariffs, which have sparked a trade war with China. Factory...

Argentina's FX gamble reaps early wins. Now for the hard part

Argentina's libertarian President Javier Milei rolled the dice this week on a major economic swerve, tearing down currency controls that had been in place for almost six years to protect the peso and...