Analysis: Currencies

As Trump is sworn in, Macron warns Europe it can't depend only on US weapons

French President Emmanuel Macron warned on Monday that the billions of euros of taxpayer money spent on Europe's military budgets should not be used to buy only American weapons, pushing for more...

Canada firms see better sales, fret about possible US measures: central bank survey

Canadian firms see improved demand and sales in the coming year, largely fueled by rate cuts, but are concerned about the potential damage from promised U.S. policies, the Bank of Canada said on...

Central banks' green push hits a hurdle as Fed drops out

A global effort by central banks to join the fight against climate change has hit a major hurdle with the U.S. Federal Reserve's decision to leave a club devoted to policing environmental risk in...

What Trump's presidency could mean for Russia's rouble

With Donald Trump's pledge to quickly end the war between Ukraine and Russia, market players are starting to look at what impact that could have on the rouble, which became an outcast following...

Currencies: The dollar still stands head and shoulders above the rest

Despite the easing in US bond yields, the dollar is not yet showing any notable signs of a trend reversal. However, the presence of divergences prompts caution, and we recommend not increasing our...

China's crude oil imports from top supplier Russia reach new high in 2024

China's crude oil imports from top supplier Russia were up 1% in 2024 to a record high versus 2023, while purchases from Saudi Arabia dropped 9%, data showed on Monday, as refiners chased discounted...

Trump's return adds new twist to Western firms' Russia exit dilemma

Hold or fold? That is the dilemma facing the hundreds of Western companies still operating in Russia as Donald Trump returns to the White House with a promise to end the Ukraine conflict...

Japan November machinery orders beat forecast on strong factory investment

Japan's core machinery orders rose 3.4% in November from the previous month to beat analysts' forecast, government data showed on Monday, signalling a recovery in capital expenditure ahead of a...

Exclusive-Bolivia in talks with Argentina to restart gas supply amid demand spike, executive says

Bolivia's state-run energy firm YPFB is in talks to restart gas exports to Argentina amid a surge in demand spurred by a summer heat wave, underscoring the challenge for the government in Buenos Aires...

Federal Reserve announces exit from regulatory climate change group

The Federal Reserve announced on Friday it had withdrawn from a global body of central banks and regulators devoted to exploring ways to police climate risk in the financial system. In a...

US mid-sized banks ride industry upswing on robust fee income

A raft of U.S. banks reported higher fourth-quarter profits on Friday, extending a winning streak for the industry as an upswing in capital markets alleviated a hit from weaker loan demand. ...

US single-family housing starts increase in December

U.S. single-family homebuilding increased solidly in December, but further gains were seen limited by rising mortgage rates and a glut of new homes on the market. Single-family housing...

Foreigners pull out of Asian bonds for a second month in December

Asian debt markets saw foreign outflows in December, for the second month in a row, reversing strong demand from earlier in 2024 on anticipated higher U.S. tariffs under President-elect Donald Trump,...

BOJ likely to keep hawkish policy pledge, raise rates next week, sources say

The Bank of Japan is likely to raise interest rates next week barring any market shocks when U.S. President-elect Donald Trump takes office, and maintain a pledge to keep pushing up borrowing costs if...

China's economic growth surpasses forecasts on stimulus push

China's economy ended 2024 on better footing than expected helped by a flurry of stimulus measures, although the threat of a new trade war with the United States and weak domestic demand could hurt...

Tariff-fuelled dollar gains pose global stagflation risks, BIS warns

Staff at central bank umbrella group, the Bank for International Settlements, have warned of a global bout of stagflation if trade tariffs promised by soon-to-be-U.S. President Donald Trump continue...

Bank of Canada to cut rates on Jan. 29, cautious over potential US tariff impact

The Bank of Canada will cut interest rates by 25 basis points to 3.00% on Jan. 29, according to a Reuters poll of economists, but many were not confident about the outlook beyond that given...

US weekly jobless claims increase; labor market conditions still healthy

The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits increased more than expected last week, but remained at levels consistent with a healthy labor market. Initial...

Dollar rules as investors eye Trump's economic policies

U.S. President-elect Donald Trump's imminent return to the White House and fading hopes for aggressive interest rate cuts have driven the dollar to multi-year highs, and investors see this strength...