Markets Decline as Fed Holds Rates Steady, Issues Warning on Trade Risks; Trump-China Talks and AI Export Repeal Send Mixed Messages US stock futures dipped modestly after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates unchanged and signaled rising economic risks from President Trump’s trade policy. While the Fed indicated a “solid” labor market, Chair Jerome Powell […]

Dollar’s Struggles Continue Despite Trade Talk Optimism •  Dollar gains after US-China trade talks news were short-lived. •  USD/JPY & USD/CHF rallies remain weak despite equity rebound. •  Markets await Treasury Sec. Bessent’s testimony & tonight’s Fed decision. •  Fed likely to hold rates; July seen as earliest cut window. •  DXY struggling below 101.00 […]

Stocks Rise as U.S., China Set Trade Talks Amid Tariff Strains U.S. stock futures rallied after the Trump administration announced it will conduct its first high-level trade talks with China since slapping tariffs on Chinese imports at 145%. Dow, S&P 500, and Nasdaq futures climbed 0.5% to 0.7% as investors took encouragement in de-escalation prospects […]

Fed Uncertainty, Tariffs, and Tech Volatility US Stock Futures Slide Ahead of Fed Decision • S&P 500 futures down 0.75%, Dow down 0.62%, Nasdaq 100 futures down 1.01% • Investors brace for Fed’s rate guidance and how new tariffs may influence monetary policy. Trump Hints at New Tariffs • Proposed 100% tariffs on foreign films […]

Dollar Firms on Strong U.S. Services Data Amid Asian Currency Volatility The U.S. dollar strengthened moderately on better-than-expected April services sector data, countering expectations of imminent Federal Reserve rate cuts. This dollar recovery helped stabilize recent volatile performance in Asian currencies, most notably the Taiwanese dollar, which had appreciated significantly following positive trade talks with […]

Fed vs Trump: A New Tug-of-War Over Interest Rates Begins  As the Fed prepares to meet this week, a new policy standoff is unfolding. President Trump is pressing hard for preemptive rate cuts ahead of any slowdown his own tariffs may trigger. Meanwhile, Chair Powell is urging patience, citing sticky inflation and economic uncertainty. • […]

Gold Gains Ahead of Fed Decision as Trade Dispute, Trump Pressure Weigh on Markets Gold climbed over $3,260 an ounce after posting its first two weekly declines of the year as investors braced for a crazy week dominated by Federal Reserve policy-making and fresh doubts about US-China trade. While the Fed most likely will keep […]

April Jobs Report: U.S. Labor Market Stays Resilient Despite Tariff Headwinds The U.S. economy added 177,000 nonfarm payrolls in April, beating expectations of 138,000, while the unemployment rate held steady at 4.2%. Wage growth came in slightly below expectations, rising 0.2% month-over-month and 3.8% year-over-year.   The labor market showed surprising strength in the face […]

AI Boom Continues: Microsoft and Meta’s earnings confirmed one thing – AI demand isn’t slowing down. Meta Ups CapEx: Meta raised its 2025 capital expenditure guidance to $64–72 billion – well above the expected $60B – to support AI infrastructure.   Microsoft Holding Steady: Microsoft reiterated strong CapEx growth, citing acceleration from top enterprise clients. […]

Goldman Sachs: Foreign Demand for U.S. Assets May Fade Unless the Dollar Weakens Further According to Goldman Sachs’ Chief Economist Jan Hatzius, foreign investor appetite for U.S. assets could decline unless the dollar depreciates further.    Key reasons: The U.S. runs a current account deficit exceeding $1 trillion. This deficit is financed largely by foreign […]