North America

Izvestia, a Russian newspaper, reported on Thursday that Russia was preparing to ship crude oil and fuel to Cuba within the next few months. Cuba has been hit by fuel shortages since the U.S. cut off its oil supply. The communist-run Island has informed international airlines that there will be no jet fuel available. This is the latest sign of rapidly worsening conditions. Venezuela has been a major supplier of jet fuel to the United States for many years. However, since Washington's 'blocking of Venezuelan exports in mid-December, it hasn’t received any crude or refined products. A Russian diplomat said...

Ankur Banerjee gives us a look at what the European and global markets will be like tomorrow. Investors will be focusing on a slate of European earnings after the U.S. jobs report surprised many with its strength. This has led to expectations that the Federal Reserve would likely keep rates steady at least until the second half. The future of policy is dependent on the labour market and consumer price trends. Investors are reducing their bets on a Fed move in the near future, and the focus is now shifted to Friday's inflation data. The U.S. employment data presented a...

Dollar and Treasury yields increased, but U.S. stock prices lost their early gains, trading nearly flat, on Wednesday, after data showed that the U.S. created "far more jobs" than expected in the month of January. This could make it harder for the Federal Reserve's to continue cutting rates. Labor Department data shows that 130,000 new workers were added to the nonfarm payrolls during January. This is well above the forecast of 70,000. November and December have been revised downwards. The unemployment rate fell to 4.3% in January from 4.4%, which was below the forecast of 4.4%. In an email, Eric...

U.S. stocks futures and the dollar rose on Wednesday after data showed that the U.S. created more jobs in January than expected, making it harder for the Federal Reserve to 'keep cutting rates' this year. Labor Department data revealed that 130,000 new workers were added to the non-farm payrolls during January. This was well above expectations of a rise in 70,000. November and December have been revised downwards a little. The unemployment rate fell to 4.3% in January from 4.4%, which was below expectations for a reading 4.4%. Lindsay James, an investment strategist with Quilter, stated that this will likely...

On Wednesday, bond prices rose and stock market gains slowed after U.S. retail figures that were weaker than expected. Meanwhile, the yen's rally has continued and could be signaling a change in investor sentiment since Japan's election. The dollar has been under pressure due to the upcoming release of U.S. employment figures. There is also the possibility that recent numbers will be revised downward. The holiday in Japan slowed trade in Asia, but the third consecutive session of gains in the yen saw it rise to 153.3 per $1. This prompted traders to wonder if it was riding high due...

Bonds rose and stock markets slowed on Wednesday due to softer than expected U.S. retail figures. Meanwhile, the rally in the yen extended and could be signaling a change in investor sentiment since Japan's recent election. A holiday in Japan 'lightened' trade in Asia and Hong Kong and China markets opened at around level. The gold price rose above $5,000 per ounce, and Treasury futures also rose a bit. Cash market was closed. The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury rates fell by nearly six basis points over night and reached a low of 4.14%, a month-low. Data showed that core U.S....

The oil prices were not much different on Tuesday, as the market awaited news about diplomatic relations between Iran and the U.S., the efforts to end Russia’s war in Ukraine, and data regarding the U.S. Economy and U.S. Oil inventories. Brent futures dropped?24 cents or 0.3% to settle at $68.80 per barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI), however, fell 40 cents or 0.6% to settle at $63.96. Analysts at the energy consulting firm Gelber & Associates wrote in a report that traders are "hesitant to push either direction" until they receive a more clear signal from diplomacy or see...

According to correspondence seen by, the management of a Russian owned oil refinery located in Germany privately warned Berlin that U.S. Sanctions were hurting their business and threatened fuel supplies for the capital and region. In a letter sent to Katherina Reiche in January, the management of Rosneft's PCK Schwedt refinery made an "urgent" appeal to her to resolve the standoff between the United States and the refinery. The letter details the escalating issues at the refinery which supplies fuel to Brandenburg, eastern Germany, and nine out of ten cars in Berlin. It also supplies key chemicals and ingredients for...

The final of the Olympic freestyle ski'moguls' was held on Tuesday. Perrine Laffont, the 2018 winner from France and Australia’s Jakara Anthony, the defending Olympic champion made it to the final. 2022 silver medallist Jaelin kauf had to compete in the second qualification round. Anthony, who had been sidelined for most of the season due to a collarbone fracture, combined technique, speed, and turns in order to win first place. She described her performance as "clean and pretty tidy". Laffont placed fourth after combining amazing jumps and rhythm around the moguls, which are closely spaced mounds. She displayed fine control...

Asian stocks advanced for a second consecutive day on early Tuesday trading, led by a rally in Tokyo’s benchmark after Prime Minister Sanae Takayichi's decisive victory in the Japanese election over the weekend. The broadest MSCI index of?Asia-Pacific stocks outside Japan rose 0.7%. Meanwhile, the Nikkei225 gained 2.8% for a third day in a row, reaching a new high. The yen strengthened for a third day. After a two day rally, U.S. equity e-minis have cooled, with S&P500 e-minis down by 0.1%. This partially reverses overnight gains on Wall Street. S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite rose 0.5% on Monday as...

Wayne Cole gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets. The markets like it when there is a political event. Sanae Takaichi, Japan's first woman Prime Minister, blew the competition out of the water in the election. This sparked a rally of 4.5% in the Nikkei index to "all-time" highs. The index actually broke 55,000, 56, 000, and 57,000 in a single go. The LDP's best ever result was a resounding victory as it took 316 out of 465 seats at the lower house of parliament. Takaichi, together with its coalition partner Japan Innovation...

The oil prices rose on Friday as traders feared that the talks this week between the U.S.A. and Iran failed to reduce the threat of a war between the two countries. Brent crude futures settled on $68.05 per barrel, up?50 cents or 0.74%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude ended up 26 cents or 0.41% at $63.55 per barrel. Both benchmarks declined overnight, but both Brent and WTI gained more than $1 per barrel during the U.S. trading session before settling. Iran and the U.S. conducted negotiations through Omani mediation in order to resolve?sharp disagreements over Tehran's nuke program. John Kilduff...

Hindalco Industries, an Indian company, posted a 45% drop in its third quarter profit on Thursday. This was despite the?firmer prices of aluminium and cobalt. However expenses related to 'fire-related interruptions' at its U.S. Novelis. Aditya Birla's metals producer, owned by the?Group?, reported a net profit of 226.14 million dollars for the quarter ended December 31 compared to 37.35 billion rupees one year ago. The decline in revenue was due largely to 26,10 billion rupees in exceptional expenses related to an Oswego plant shutdown, located in?New York. A fire in its New York facility last year impacted the company's U.S....

Analysts?and producers say that Paraguay’s soybean crop in 2025/26 is expected to exceed 10 million tons, and could become the biggest ever recorded by the country. StoneX, a South American agricultural?consultancy, revised its estimate of the crop harvested from October to February, increasing it by 500,000 tons. This is a significant increase over the previous estimate, which was 9.65 million tonnes. The crop, according to StoneX, "is among the best recorded ever" in this landlocked South American producer, the report stated. Analysts believe the final production total will depend on the second, smaller crop (or "zafrina") harvested between April-May. StoneX's...

The Indian arm of 3M suffered its first quarterly loss in over five and a half years due to a one-time cost'related to the new labour codes'. The company's products, which range from Post-it Notes to power tools posted a loss on Thursday of 620.6 millions rupees (about $6.85 million), compared with a profit last year of 1.14 billion rupees. The company had last posted a loss during the quarter ending June 2020, amid a COVID-19 lockdown across the country. 3M India’s revenue for the December quarter in the Transportation and Electronics?segment grew 3.8%. This is down from the 10%...

Albemarle is the world's biggest producer of lithium. It posted a?larger-than-expected loss on Wednesday. The company also announced that it would be?idling a major Australian?processing?plant due to its continued?struggle with low prices for battery metal. After-hours trading saw shares of the Charlotte-based company fall 3.1%. Prices of lithium have fallen by more than 90 percent in the last two years, largely due to an oversupply coming from China. This has led to layoffs, buyouts, and project delays at Albemarle, and other companies. Prices have increased in recent months but remain below the all-time highs of 2023. Albemarle announced that it...

Three sources familiar with the matter have told us that CME Group has been working on a plan to launch the first futures contract for rare earths in the world. This would allow governments, companies, and banks to hedge their exposure to the 'China-controlled sector. Two sources claim that the rival Intercontinental Exchange also plans to offer rare earth futures but it is not as far along in its planning process as CME. CME declined comment, and ICE didn't immediately respond to a comment request. Banks are reluctant to finance Western projects, in an industry where volatile prices can be...

Kraft Heinz halted its plans to split on Wednesday, joining a select group of companies that have retracted major corporate restructurings. It announced plans to split in two, one focusing on sauces and condiments and the other on groceries. Some major companies have cancelled plans to split. DUPONT DuPont, a manufacturer of industrial materials, announced in January 2025 that it would no longer'separate their water business and turn it into a publicly-traded company. Instead, they will'spin off its electronics business. VIRGIN O2 Marc Murtra, the CEO of Telefonica, announced that in July 2025 they had scrapped their plan to spin...

Futures that track Canada's main index of stocks rose on Wednesday. This was largely due to a 'jump in precious metals' and oil prices, which could provide 'fresh insight' into the Federal Reserve's interest rate path. As of 5:52 a.m., March 'futures' on the S&P/TSX Composite Index were up 0.33%. ET. Toronto's resource-heavy benchmark stock index closed Tuesday at a new record high of 33.256.83, boosted by the strength in industrial stocks and continued gains in mining shares. Investors will be watching the U.S. Jobs data for January. It is scheduled to be released at 8:30 am. ET for clues...

Xinhua, the state news agency, reported that Premier Li 'Qiang', China's second highest official, visited rare earth facilities in southern province of Jiangxi, on Tuesday. The visit was used to imply a more intense competition between China and the United States. Over strategic minerals. These pre-holiday visits are a chance for China's top leaders to communicate their policy before the Lunar New Year celebrations begin. The readout on Wednesday subtly highlighted how Beijing has become more powerful in its negotiations with Washington by gaining access to critical components for everything from smartphones to autos. Rare earths?are also key in the...

Claudio Sougarret, the mine's head, said on?Tuesday that production at Codelco’s El Teniente will be affected for?the next?five years. He said that the mine will produce 301,000 tons of red metal in this year. This was on the sidelines an event to showcase the results of a study of biodiversity near the mine. He said that he hoped to "push?that production" up a little, but cautioned it would be "?around there and will be for the next five year." Codelco, world's biggest copper?miner, has previously stated that production will be affected for the next 3 years. A collapse at the...

Toronto Stock Exchange operator TMX CEO stated that the IPO pipeline is strong in Canada with approximately 1,600?companies in various stages of listing, despite a U.S. Software Selloff?that caused ripples on the North American Market. In an interview, CEO John McKenzie stated that Canada's strong mining sector and high commodity prices are driving a surge in IPO interest. Listings will rebound following only two companies joining the TSX Toronto in Toronto last year. He said that up to half the 1,600 'companies' are from outside Canada. Many of them were attracted by TMX Ventures ecosystem, which allows early-stage businesses to...

The futures trading Canada's main index of stocks were stable on Tuesday. Traders were reluctant to place?big bets, as they waited for important U.S. economic data due later this week. As of 5:46 am, March futures for the?S&P/TSX Composite Index were up by 0.09%. ET. Toronto's resource-heavy benchmark index rose 1.7% on Monday as mining shares continued to gain on the strength of precious metals and tech stocks recovered after the AI-sparked sale the previous week. Spot gold fell 0.21% on Tuesday and spot silver dropped 1.2%, following the positive sentiment in global equity markets. The Federal Reserve will be...

Hedging portfolios has been based on the same rules since decades. However, as technology, geopolitics, and trading have changed rapidly, it is time to update the rules. Old playbooks assumed stable relationships. Risk-off meant that bonds rallied. "Safe havens" cushioned withdrawals. Diversification could be left to autopilot. This assumption has proven to be unreliable. Portfolios that are resilient will be required as a result of rising leverage, shifting global alliances and technological disruption. To capture long-term capital preservation and growth, a more deliberate approach is needed. High-grade bonds are one of the most popular hedges. U.S. government debt and investment...