Analysis: Currencies

US 30-year fixed-rate mortgage rise to four-month high of 6.79%

U.S. mortgage rates increased to a four-month high this week and could rise further amid fears that President-elect Donald Trump's proposed economic policies could stoke inflation. The...

US worker productivity rises moderately in third quarter; labor costs elevated

U.S. worker productivity increased moderately in the third quarter, resulting in only a gradual slowdown in labor costs that could cast a cloud over the inflation outlook. Nonfarm...

Futures steady after Trump-fueled rally, Fed's rate decision awaited

U.S. stock futures edged higher ahead of an interest-rate decision by the Federal Reserve on Thursday, building on a sharp rally set off by Donald Trump's stunning comeback as U.S. president for a...

Trump victory heightens risks for BOJ as yen renews slide

A dollar rally triggered by Republican Donald Trump's victory in the U.S. presidential election could heighten pressure on the Bank of Japan to raise interest rates as soon as December to prevent the...

Markets more confident Fed balance sheet drawdown has room to run

Financial markets are heading into this week's Federal Reserve meeting with more clarity over the outlook for the U.S. central bank's ongoing balance sheet drawdown than they've had in a while, and...

Tight credit conditions add to case for Fed interest-rate cut

The Federal Reserve has plenty of reasons to deliver a widely expected interest rate cut on Thursday, including a decline in inflation and a cooling in labor markets that makes it harder for Americans...

US service sector activity accelerates to more than 2-year high

U.S. services sector activity unexpectedly accelerated in October to a more-than two-year high, and employment strengthened, more evidence that the economy is in solid shape as the nation heads to the...

Canada posts higher than expected trade deficit of C$1.26 billion in Sept

Canada posted a higher than expected trade deficit of C$1.26 billion in September as a larger drop in imports failed to offset a drop in exports, data showed on Tuesday. The September...

FX traders brace for wild moves after US election

Currency traders rushed to hedge against big overnight price movements that might ensue as the results of the 2024 U.S. election trickle out, pushing options volatility for the euro and Mexican peso...

Brazil's Itau Unibanco posts 18% increase in Q3 recurring profit

Brazil's Itau Unibanco, Latin America's largest private lender, on Monday posted a 18% increase in its third-quarter net recurring profit from a year earlier. Itau reported a 10.68...

Global equity funds see first weekly outflow in five weeks on caution ahead of US elections

Investors withdrew money from global equity funds in the week ended Oct. 30, amid caution ahead of Tuesday's U.S. presidential election and the Federal Reserve's policy decision later in the week. ...

Currencies: A well-deserved respite

Last week, the euro regained some of its color against the dollar, but the hardest part remains to be done on the eve of a particularly busy week, between the US elections and the US Federal Reserve...

Recent data has kept Fed rate view, soft landing, intact

A data-heavy week has kept the U.S. Federal Reserve's core view intact of an economy where price pressures continue to ease and the job market continues to bend but not break amid ongoing economic...

Japan cuts growth forecast again for current fiscal year on weak exports

Japan's government on Friday lowered its GDP growth forecast for the current fiscal year as weaker exports drag on a fragile economic recovery. In its revised estimates, the Cabinet...

Brazil's strong labor market fuels inflation fears ahead of expected rate hike

SAO PAULO -Brazil's labor market is posting blockbuster numbers ahead of a central bank rate decision next week, amid bets that the country's rate-setting committee will need to speed up monetary...

US third-quarter labor costs growth smallest in more than three years

U.S. labor costs recorded their smallest increase in more than three years in the third quarter amid cooling wage growth, indicating that inflation was firmly on a downward trend. The...

September US PCE inflation ticks up, as expected

The Commerce Department's personal consumption expenditures price index, closely watched by the Federal Reserve, increased 0.2% in September after an unrevised 0.1% gain in August. Economists had...

Riding growth wave, most Asian central banks to go slower than Fed on rate cuts

Most Asian central banks will cut interest rates slower than the U.S. Federal Reserve over the coming year, Reuters polls showed, as solid growth has eased pressure to maintain currency stability...

BOJ keeps interest rates steady, roughly maintains price forecasts

The Bank of Japan kept interest rates steady on Thursday and roughly maintained its forecast that inflation will hover near its 2% inflation target in coming years, signalling its readiness to...