Pound Gains on Brexit Optimism as Focus Shifts to Trade Talks

By Ritu, Capital Sands   Want the lowdown on European markets? In your inbox before the open, every day. Sign up here. The pound rallied for a second day amid optimism a speedy resolution to the Brexit deadlock is in store after the Conservative Party’s election victory. Sterling advanced against all its major peers after Chief Secretary […]

Asian Markets Mixed as Lighthizer Says No Date is Set for Phase Two Talks

By Ritu, Capital Sands Asian markets were mixed on Monday morning in Asia as U.S. Trade Representative Robert Lighthizersaid the phase one Sino-U.S. trade deal is “totally done,” but no date is set for the next phase two talks. China’s Shanghai Composite slipped 0.1% by 11:35 PM ET, while the Shenzhen Component gained 0.6%. Hong Kong’s […]

Brexit relief for UK economy might not last long

By Ritu, Capital Sands   Britain’s economy will cast off some of the Brexit uncertainty that has held it back since 2016 after Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s election triumph, but the risk remains of another “cliff-edge” showdown with Brussels in a year’s time. With Britain’s exit from the European Union on Jan. 31 now a […]

Sterling sparkles after election poll, Yuan up on trade deal reports

By Ritu Capital Sands The pound rose to a three-and-a-half year high versus the euro and the highest in more than a year versus the dollar after exit polls suggested a win for the Conservatives, which should help ensure the UK’s smooth exit from the European Union. The Chinese yuan rose in offshore trade and the Japanese […]

StockBeat: Dovish Fed Dominant Tories Push Europe Markets Higher

By Ritu, Capital Sands   European stocks found their feet again on Wednesday after the Federal Reserve signalled that it’s likely to remain on hold throughout next year, seemingly convinced that historically low jobless rates won’t create enough inflationary pressure to warrant a rate hike. By 5 AM ET (1000 GMT), the benchmark Stoxx 600 was up […]

U.S. Dollar Slips After Fed; Pound Gains Ahead of ECB Meeting, Election

By Ritu, Capital Sands   The U.S. dollar slipped on Thursday in Asia after the Federal Reserve kept interest rates on hold, suggesting that the current path of monetary policy was “appropriate” to support economic growth and would likely remain in place through next year. The U.S. dollar index that tracks the greenback against a […]

Pound slips on UK poll projections, dollar eyes Fed

By Ritu, Capital Sands The British pound slipped early on Wednesday after a poll showed a narrowing lead for Prime Minister Boris Johnson’s Conservative Party in an election later in the week, while U.S. dollar movement looked to the Federal Reserve’s policy meeting. Investors were also focusing on what U.S. President Donald Trump will do […]

Stocks Slip While U.S. Futures Drift With Bonds: Markets Wrap

By Ritu, Capital Sands   Stocks fell in Europe while U.S. equity-index futures fluctuated in the countdown to major central bank meetings and a deadline on fresh China tariffs. Treasuries and the dollar were steady. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index opened lower for a second day as almost every industry sector traded in the red. […]

Oil prices slip as weak China exports highlight trade war impact

Oil slips as surge in virus cases cloud demand recovery

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 […]