Oil climbs lifted by U.S.-China trade deal hopes OPEC cuts

By Ritu, Capital Sands   Oil prices rose on Thursday, buoyed by a potential breakthrough in the Sino-U.S. trade war and OPEC-led efforts to constrain supply, although trading was quiet as many markets were in holiday mode. Brent crude was up 28 cents, or 0.4%, at $67.48 a barrel by 0651 GMT. West Texas Intermediate […]

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 […]

European shares edge lower ahead of Christmas holiday break

By Ritu, Capital Sands   European shares dipped slightly on Monday after nearing a record high in the previous session, as trading thinned ahead of the Christmas and Boxing Day holidays later in the week. The pan-European STOXX 600 index was down 0.1% at 0814 GMT, with the banking sector  leading declines. An improving outlook […]

China says bilateral relationship with U.S. has experienced serious difficulties

By Ritu, Capital Sands   China said Friday its relationship with the United States had experienced serious difficulties, but they should work in accordance with the consensus reached by the two countries’ leaders to push forward a stable bilateral relationship. Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Le Yucheng made the comment at a meeting with the U.S. […]

U.S. dollar gains slightly after declining for two weeks

By Ritu, Capital Sands   With the release of a series of data, the U.S. dollar gained some ground on Friday in Asia after declining for two weeks.The U.S. dollar index rose 0.08% to 97.035 by 11:30 PM . The greenback has made a slight comeback after drifting further on Thursday on the news of U.S. […]

European stocks grind higher in pre-holiday trading

By Ritu, Capital Sands   European shares edged higher on Thursday, with a pre-holiday lull making for a quiet trading session aside from a handful of corporate updates. The pan-European STOXX 600 rose 0.2% by 0821 GMT, with media, healthcare and utilities sectors leading gains. All eyes will turn to the Bank of England’s monetary policy […]

In historic moment, U.S. House impeaches Donald Trump for abuse of power

By Ritu, Capital Sands.   Donald Trump became the third U.S. president to be impeached on Wednesday, as the House of Representatives formally charged him with abuse of power in a historic step that will inflame partisan tensions across a deeply divided America. The Democratic-led House passed the abuse of power article of impeachment on […]

Stocks Fluctuate Treasuries Edge Up; Pound Slips: Markets Wrap

By Ritu, Capital Sands   European stocks edged higher on Wednesday while U.S. equity futures fluctuated and Asian shares were mixed. Bonds also nudged upward while the pound extended its decline. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index traded slightly higher as most national benchmarks in the region were in the green. Luxury TV and stereo maker Bang […]

Japan to trim annual government bond issuance next fiscal year – sources

By Ritu, Capital Sands   Japan plans to trim government bond issuance by 0.5% next fiscal year from current year’s levels, government officials said on Wednesday, as Prime Minister Shinzo Abe walks a fine line between supporting an economy and reining in huge public debt. The drop would mark the seventh straight year of declines […]