Oil gains after U.S.-China trade deal, rise in inventories
By Ritu, Capital Sands Oil prices rose on Thursday after the signing of an initial Sino-U.S. trade deal that sets the stage for a surge in Chinese purchases of American energy products, while U.S. crude inventories fell more than expected. Brent was 45 cents, or 0.7%, higher at $64.45 a barrel, while U.S. crude was up […]
Michael Patra appointed deputy governor of RBI for a three-year term
By Ritu, Capital Sands Michael Debabrata Patra, 59, has been appointed the Reserve Bank of India (RBI) deputy governor for three years. The post fell vacant after Viral Acharya resigned on July 23 last year. Patra, as executive director of the central bank, was the principal advisor to the Monetary Policy Department since July 2012. […]
Asian Markets Rise as U.S. Drops China’s Currency Manipulator Label
By Ritu, Capital Sands Asian stocks rose in morning trade on Tuesday after the U.S. dropped China’s currency manipulator label, saying that it has made “enforceable commitments” not to devalue the yuan. China’s Shanghai Composite inched up 0.1%, while the Shenzhen Component gained 0.3%. “China has made enforceable commitments to refrain from competitive devaluation, while promoting transparency and accountability. […]
Economic Calendar – Top 5 Things to Watch This Week
By Ritu, Capital Sands U.S. and China to bury the trade hatchet Chinese Vice Premier Liu He will visit Washington to sign the Phase 1 trade deal with the U.S. on Wednesday, which will deescalate the trade war between the two sides. But no deadline has been set for the next phase of talks to begin […]
Safe-haven currencies retreat as U.S., Iran seen defusing crisis
By Ritu, Capital Sands The Japanese yen and Swiss franc retreated on Thursday as the United States and Iran backed away from the brink of further conflict in the Middle East. U.S. President Donald Trump responded overnight to an Iranian attack on U.S. forces with sanctions, not violence. Iran offered no immediate signal it would […]
Oil Prices Up After Iran Attacks Two U.S.-Iraqi Airbases, Sparking More Conflicts
By Ritu, Capital Sands Oil prices jumped on Wednesday in Asia after Iran attacked two U.S.-Iraqi airbases in response to a U.S. airstrike that killed a top Iranian general last week, sparking worries of intensifying conflict in the Middle East. Overnight, the Pentagon said missile strikes were launched from Iran and targeted the Ayn al-Asad […]
Swiss franc holds gains, yen steady as traders eye Iran
By Ritu, Capital Sands The Swiss franc held gains against the dollar on Tuesday as traders sought save-havens amid heightened anxiety about potential Iranian retaliation to a U.S. drone strike that killed its most prominent military commander. The yen, another safe-haven currency, pulled back from a three-month high versus the dollar, but sentiment remains fragile […]
Brent jumps nearly $3 after U.S. air strike kills Iran, Iraq officials
By Ritu, Capital Sands Brent crude futures jumped close to $3 on Friday to their highest since September after a U.S. air strike killed key Iranian and Iraqi military personnel, raising concerns that escalating Middle East tensions may disrupt oil supplies. Brent crude futures jumped nearly $3 to hit a high of $69.16 a barrel, […]
5 Things to Watch for in Global Markets in 2020
By Ritu, Capital Sands 1. No end in sight to the U.S.-China struggle for supremacy The trade war between the U.S. and China, which hobbled the world economy almost single-handedly in 2019 is likely to leave deep marks on 2020 too. The International Monetary Fund estimated in October that the tariffs imposed […]
European shares hover near record high in thin holiday trade
By Ritu, Capital Sands European shares traded near all-time highs on Tuesday in a holiday-shortened week, helped by optimism about the global economic outlook amid progress in U.S.-China trade talks. The pan-European STOXX 600 index was nearly unchanged . Britain’s FTSE 100 fell 0.2% and Spain’s IBEX ) eased 0.4%. France’s CAC was trading […]