Oil prices slip as weak China exports highlight trade war impact

By Ritu, Capital Sands   Oil prices fell on Monday after data showed that Chinese exports declined for a fourth straight month, sending shivers through a market already concerned about damage being done to global demand by the Sino-U.S. trade war. Brent futures (LCOc1) were down 21 cents, or 0.3%, at $64.18 per barrel, after […]

Dollar bolstered by U.S. jobs data, markets look to trade talks

By Ritu, Capital Sands. The dollar held firm on Monday after data showed surprise strength in the U.S. jobs market, but the currency was restrained from moving higher by worries about an escalation in the U.S.-China trade war. The dollar index stood almost flat at 97.706 in mid-Asian trade, after rising 0.3% on Friday. The euro […]

Good, Bad and Ugly: Decisive Week May Set Course for Currencies

By Ritu, Capital Sands   The next week could set the tone for the $6.6 trillion-a-day currency market in 2020.The geopolitical risks that have shaped foreign exchange this year — Brexit and the U.S.-China trade war — are approaching a critical point, according to Credit Agricole SA. The U.K. will vote for a government on […]

Forex – U.S. dollar Unchanged Ahead of Job Report

By Ritu, Capital Sands   The U.S. dollar was unchanged on Friday in Asia as traders awaited the release of the latest U.S. job report, which is due at 8:30 AM ET (13:30 GMT). The U.S. dollar index that tracks the greenback against a basket of other currencies was unchanged at 97.380 by 1:30 AM ET (05:30 […]

Asian Markets Gain Ahead of U.S. Nonfarm Payrolls Data

By Ritu, Capital Sands   Asian markets gained in morning trade on Friday ahead of the release of U.S. nonfarm payrolls data for November due later in the day stateside. China’s Shanghai Composite was little changed by 10:35 PM ET (02:35 GMT), while the Shenzhen Component inched up 0.2%. Japan’s Nikkei 225 rose 0.3% after the country’s Prime Minister […]

OPEC and allies prepare to deepen oil output cuts

By Ritu, Capital Sands   OPEC and its allies led by Russia were moving closer on Thursday to agreeing to deeper oil supply cuts next year to support crude prices and prevent a glut, sources from OPEC and its allied producers said. The Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries (OPEC) meets on Thursday in Vienna […]

Asian currencies fueled by new trade optimism

By Ritu, Capital Sands   Asian currencies made something of a comeback on Thursday morning in Asia as optimism about a possible trade deal between China and the US returned. The USD was lost a little ground and the Australian dollar stopped a multi-day slide even as the Yuan continued to slide. On Wednesday US President […]

Forex – Dollar Near 1-Month Lows as Trade War Fears Ramp Up

By Ritu, Capital Sands The U.S. dollar was trading near one-month lows on Wednesday after U.S. President Donald Trump warned a trade deal with China might not come until after the 2020 presidential election and threatened to escalate his trade war with other nations. The U.S. dollar index against a basket of six major currencies was […]

Gold Prices Up; Trade Deal Might Come After 2020 Election

By Ritu, Capital Sands   Gold prices were supported by a fresh round of uncertainty of the US-China trade deal on Wednesday morning in Asia. The precious metal still hovered near a three-week high above $1,480. Gold Futures contracts were up 0.06% to trade at $1,485.35 by 11:10 PM ET. US President Donald Trump suggested […]

France and EU ready to fight back over U.S. tariff threat, ministers say

By Ritu, Capital Sands   France and the European Union are ready to fight back over the latest U.S. tariff threats on French products, French government ministers said on Tuesday. On Monday, the U.S. government said it may impose punitive duties of up to 100% on $2.4 billion of imports from France, including champagne, handbags, […]