BNP Joins JPMorgan in Setting Up Singapore Currency Trading Hub
By Ritu, Capital Sands BNP Paribas is planning to join JPMorgan Chase & Co. and Citigroup Inc . by setting up an electronic currency trading and pricing platform in Singapore. The facility will support electronic trading of 50 currencies in spot, forward, swaps, non-deliverable forwards and options, according to a company statement. It will also […]
German unemployment rises more than expected in December
By Ritu, Capital Sands German unemployment rose more than expected in December, data showed on Friday, adding to signs that weakness in the manufacturing sector is hurting the labor market in Europe’s biggest economy. Data from the Federal Labor Office showed the number of people out of work rose by 8,000 to 2.279 million […]
India Stocks Rise as Investors Turn Attention to Fiscal Spending
By Ritu, Capital Sands India stocks advanced, extending gains for a second day on the expectation that the government’s plans to spend big will haul the country out of its economic woes. The S&P BSE Sensex 50 climbed 0.3% to 41,419.41 at 9:39 a.m. in Mumbai. The Nifty 50 Index advanced by a similar magnitude. The Sensex has had […]
European shares falter as year-end rally fades
By Ritu, Capital Sands European shares looked set to end the decade with a whimper on Tuesday as investors locked in gains after a record rally that was fueled by optimism around trade and easing fears of a global recession. In a shortened session ahead of the New Year’s Eve celebrations, the pan-European STOXX 600 […]
Oil price rise muted in 2019 despite sanctions, supply cuts, attack in Saudi Arabia
By Ritu, Capital Sands Oil prices rose more than 20% this year but there were no sharp spikes and crude futures barely sniffed $70 a barrel despite attacks on the world’s biggest oil producer, sanctions that crippled crude exports of two OPEC members and gigantic supply cuts from big oil producing countries. The price gains […]
Oil hits three-month highs as strong U.S. consumer spending underpins growth hopes
By Ritu, Capital Sands Oil prices rose on Friday, hitting three-month highs after data showed record online spending by U.S. consumers, stoking faith in the world’s no. 1 economy even before the hoped-for end to the trade war between Washington and Beijing. Brent crude futures were up 6 cents, or 0.1%, at $67.98 a barrel […]
Trade optimism puts floor on dollar/yen, boosts Aussie
By Ritu, Capital Sands The dollar hovered near a six-month high versus the Japanese yen while the Australian dollar climbed to its strongest since July on Friday, buoyed by easing Sino-U.S. trade tensions. The optimism around prospects for a trade deal reduced demand for safe-haven currencies such as the yen, but with global currency […]
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 […]
Battle lines harden over Trump impeachment trial witnesses
By Ritu, Capital Sands The White House on Sunday signaled comfort with plans by Senate Republicans to avoid new witnesses in President Donald Trump’s impeachment trial, while a top Democrat seized on a newly released email on the withholding of U.S. aid to Ukraine to press his case for testimony. The Democratic-led House of […]