Analysis: Currencies

Gold holds under $4,000 on dollar resilience, Fed rate outlook

Gold traded below the $4,000-per-ounce mark again on Tuesday as the dollar remained resilient at over three-month highs, while reduced chances of another U.S. interest rate cut in December and easing...

Loan demand from US mid- and large firms improves, Fed survey shows

Business loan demand from large and mid-sized U.S. firms strengthened by the most in about three years in the third quarter while demand from small firms was essentially unchanged from the prior...

Fed's Cook: December live for a rate cut but will depend on incoming information

WASHINGTON -U.S. Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook said on Monday she considers December's Fed meeting live for a potential rate cut but that she will make her decision based on information from a...

Currencies: not a foregone conclusion

Small statements often make a big splash, and the latest meeting of the US Federal Reserve was no exception. While Jerome Powell delivered an eagerly awaited speech, it took very little for everything...

US economy at risk of wobble as lower-income consumers get squeezed

WASHINGTON -The U.S. consumer's durability as a prop for the economy may be tested in coming weeks as family budgets, particularly among the less affluent, are stressed by rising healthcare costs,...

Goldman Sachs backs bullish Indian rupee wager banking on tarriff turnaround

MUMBAI -Goldman Sachs is advising clients to take a bullish position on the Indian rupee, using an exotic option structure, despite its latest slide toward its all-time low. Taking...

South African rand steady after sluggish manufacturing PMI

JOHANNESBURG -The South African rand was steady on Monday after the release of a sluggish manufacturing purchasing managers' index survey and vehicle sales numbers for the month of October. ...

Bessent says high US interest rates may have caused housing recession

Parts of the U.S. economy, particularly housing, may already be in recession because of high interest rates, U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said Sunday, repeating his call for the Federal...

Banks tap Fed Standing Repo Facility in record numbers amid month-end pressures

Federal Reserve liquidity facilities caught fire on Friday as month-end pressures pushed a key lending tool to a record level of usage. The Fed's Standing Repo Facility lent a total of...

Russia plans to issue debut sovereign yuan-denominated bonds, sources say

MOSCOW -Russia is planning to issue its debut yuan-denominated bond on the local market this year, sources told Reuters, offering an investment option for the vast amounts of yuan liquidity...

Canada's GDP contracts in August, might avoid a recession in third quarter

OTTAWA -Canada's GDP contracted in August  against a consensus estimate of flat growth, data showed on Friday, and an advance estimate suggested the economy might escape a recession in the third...

Indian central bank's forward book expands after six months as it mounts rupee defense

MUMBAI -India's central bank increased its short dollar forward positions by $6 billion in September, marking the first rise in six months, data released on Friday showed, as it intensified efforts...

Core consumer prices in Japan's capital accelerate, keep BOJ under pressure

TOKYO -Core inflation in Japan's capital accelerated in October and stayed above the central bank's 2% target, data showed on Friday, keeping alive market expectations for a near-term interest rate...

US weekly jobless claims fall, economists estimate

WASHINGTON -The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits fell last week, economists estimated on Thursday, though new job opportunities for those who are laid off...

ECB hopes to launch digital euro pilot in 2027

FLORENCE, Italy -The European Central Bank said on Thursday it could launch a pilot of its digital currency in 2027 provided it can secure timely approval from lawmakers for a project it deems vital...

Bank of Japan keeps rates steady

TOKYO -The Bank of Japan held off on raising interest rates on Thursday but repeated its pledge to continue increasing borrowing costs if the economy moves in line with its projections. ...

India to impose 30% import duty on yellow peas from November 1

MUMBAI -India has imposed a 30% import duty on yellow peas, effective November 1, according to a government notification issued late on Wednesday. Shipments with a bill of lading dated...

Yen weakens after BOJ holds rates steady, Fed boosts dollar

NEW YORK -The Japanese yen tumbled against the U.S. dollar on Thursday after the Bank of Japan adopted a less hawkish tone than traders expected, while the greenback was boosted after Federal Reserve...

Hong Kong Monetary Authority cuts interest rate tracking Fed move, banks follow

HONG KONG -Hong Kong's de-facto central bank lowered its base interest rate by 25 basis points to 4.25% on Thursday, tracking a cut by the U.S. Federal Reserve. It was the second easing...