Western Europe

Ankur Banerjee gives us a look at what the future holds for European and global markets When cryptocurrencies are on fire, you know that markets are risky. Bitcoin has joined global stocks in scaling a new record high as the near certainty of U.S. rate cuts boosts risk sentiment. Bitcoin, the world's most popular cryptocurrency, has many things going for it. It is likely to see lower interest rates in the future, as well as a more favorable regulatory environment and strong institutional investor flows. Ether has also been on a charge. It is hovering at its highest level since...

The U.S. Dollar was under pressure Thursday, as traders bet that the Federal Reserve would resume lowering interest rates in January. Bitcoin reached a new record high while regional stocks saw a pause from their explosive rally. MSCI's index of Asian stocks excluding Japan remained near its highest level since September 2021. It took cues from Wall Street where the S&P 500 Index and Nasdaq Index hit new closing highs on the second consecutive day. On Wednesday, the MSCI All Country World Index reached a new record for the second consecutive session. Japan's Nikkei index fell following a six-day rally...

The court officer overseeing the Delaware auction of shares of Citgo Petroleum, the Venezuelan-owned refiner, has requested to adjourn the final hearing of the sale, which was originally scheduled for the week after next. This is so that the winner of the auction can be decided. This request was made after two bids, including those from Elliott Investment Management affiliates and Vitol commodities house, were submitted recently. The court officer recommended that a unit of Gold Reserve miner submit a different offer. Due to parallel court cases, procedural complications, and disagreements with creditors pursuing the same assets and debts in...

The U.S. Dollar was weaker on Wednesday as data revealed both the resilience of major economies and the necessity for central banks remain accommodative. Wall Street reached new heights Tuesday due to the increasing certainty that the Federal Reserve would cut interest rates in a month. Japan's Nikkei surpassed the 43,000 mark for the first and cryptocurrency ether reached a four-year high. Euro Stoxx futures for the entire region rose by 0.5%. German DAX futures also rose by 0.5%. FTSE futures climbed by 0.2%. U.S. Stock Futures, S&P 500 eminis were flat. The much-anticipated U.S. Inflation readings showed that President...

The oil prices fell on Tuesday, as traders awaited a short-term outlook report from the U.S. Government following a bullish OPEC report on supply and demand. Brent crude futures fell 20 cents or 0.3% to $66.43 per barrel at 10:36 AM CDT (1536 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate Crude Futures fell by 39 cents or 0.61% to $63.51. Phil Flynn is a senior analyst with Price Futures Group. He said, "We are still in a range as we await the Energy Information Administration's report this morning." Flynn stated that traders were waiting to see if EIA's report would match up...

The global equities market rose on Friday, as investors held on to the belief that U.S. rates could fall even further this year. European shares posted their largest weekly gain in twelve weeks due to a strong performance by banking stocks. U.S. Gold Futures reached a record-high due to uncertainty about whether U.S. Import Tariffs will apply to the most common sizes of gold bars. Investors were looking for signs of an upcoming ceasefire between Russia and Ukraine after hearing that the United States was working with Russia to end the conflict in Ukraine. The expectation of a possible truce...

Global shares rose Friday, as investors held on to the belief that U.S. rates could fall even further this year. U.S. Gold futures also hit a new record high due to uncertainty about whether U.S. import duties would be applied to the most common sizes of gold bar. Reportage The news that the U.S. is planning a truce with Russia sent global benchmark oil prices to a new session low of $1 per barrel. The economic outlook was impacted by tariffs, which added pressure to crude. Dollar was headed for a loss of 1% per week after U.S. president Donald...

Gold futures rose after a report that U.S. imports were subject to duties. The world stock index traded at record highs, despite overnight weakness on Wall Street. In Europe, the shares were boosted by a string of strong earnings, as well as optimism about a possible negotiation of the U.S. tariffs which went into effect on Thursday. A series of changes in the Federal Reserve has made the outlook for the United States' monetary policy, which is a key component of global markets, even more uncertain. Policymakers at the Federal Reserve are divided over the impact of inflation, and the...

The dollar and global shares both rose on Friday as investors held on to the belief that U.S. interest rates could fall even further this year. Gold futures also rallied following reports of tariffs on U.S. imports, which are mainly made up of Swiss bullion bars. The world stock index traded at record highs on Friday, despite overnight weakness on Wall Street. In Europe, the shares were boosted by a series of strong earnings and optimism about the negotiation of U.S. tariffs. A series of changes in leadership at the Federal Reserve have further cast doubt on the outlook for...

Asian markets recovered unevenly on Friday. Japan's largest stock index hit a new record high, boosted by strong corporate earnings. Tariffs on goods imported from the country The declines in Hong Kong, South Korea, and Australia were a sign of fragile investor confidence following the Wall Street retreat, as traders assessed the impact that the appointments at the U.S. Federal Reserve would have on the policy direction. The Nikkei index rose by 2%, while the Topix index gained more than 1%. Both reached new records and traded above 3,000 dollars for the first. SoftBank Group shares rose as high as...

European stocks closed on Thursday at an all-time high, boosted by strong financial stocks and the hope of a ceasefire in Ukraine. Global equities as well as major Wall Street indexes fell. The oil price dropped after the Kremlin announced that Russian President Vladimir Putin will meet with U.S. president Donald Trump. Gold prices, which are seen as a haven of safety in turbulent times, reached a new two-week record. Wall Street fell following a report Federal Reserve Governor Christopher Waller Trump's choice for the Federal Reserve chair was a top contender, and this raised concerns about the independence of...

Global equity prices rose on Thursday, as positive earnings, rising hopes for a ceasefire and the expectation of U.S. interest rate cuts lifted sentiment. Meanwhile, oil prices stabilized after news broke that Presidents Putin and Obama would meet. Gold prices, viewed as a safe place in turbulent times, reached a new high. The MSCI index of global stocks rose by 0.45%, to 937.40. Japanese shares reached a new record high. The Bank of England lowered interest rates, but four of nine policymakers - worried about inflation - voted to maintain rates. The split vote suggests that the BoE may be...

Chile's copper state commission has lowered its estimate of growth for 2025, saying that it expects a 1.5% increase from last year. This is half the growth estimated by the commission in May, which was 3%. Cochilco announced on Wednesday that the production of the world's largest copper exporter will reach 5.58 millions metric tons in this year. The commission also maintained its forecast for copper prices to average $4.30 per pound in 2025-2026. The Commission said that the decline in growth forecast was due to the June decrease in production of BHP's Escondida Mine, the world's largest copper deposit,...

Thyssenkrupp Nucera, a German supplier of hydrogen equipment, reported an unexpected loss for the third quarter on Wednesday. The company continues to experience project delays in a weak market for hydrogen. Clean-tech companies are worried about what U.S. president Donald Trump's plans for taxation and spending will mean for this industry. They fear that his tax and expenditure plans will stifle the U.S. green hydrogen industry because they will remove crucial tax credits. Thyssenkrupp reported a net profit of 1 million euros, below the analysts' poll conducted by Vara-research. This compares to a 7-million euro profit during the same period...

Radico Khaitan will launch a premium brand of tequila in partnership with Bollywood actor Shah Rukh Khan, Zerodha cofounder Nikhil Kamath, and Zerodha founder Nikhil Kamath. This is their first foray into this category. The Indian liquor producer, well-known for its premium products such as Rampur Indian single malt and Jaisalmer Indian Craft gin, will launch the brand D'YAVOL Anejo, a premium spirit aged in wine casks about two years. D'YAVOL is a luxury brand founded by Shah Rukh Khan's Son Aryan Khan in 2022, along with Leti Blagoeva, and Bunty Sing, and headquartered in Amsterdam. It offers premium streetwear,...

U.S. president Donald Trump said on Monday that he will not impose any tariffs on gold. This was a welcome move by the global bullion market and ended speculation for days that the yellow metal would be affected by the current global trade dispute. "Gold won't be tariffed!" Trump posted a statement on his social media accounts. He gave no details. U.S. Customs and Border Protection posted a decision on its website Friday, stating that Washington could place the gold bullion bar most commonly traded in the United States within country-specific tariffs. This would have shook the global supply chains...

De Beers joint venture in Angola announced on Tuesday that it had discovered a kimberlite mine, which is the main source of diamonds. This was its first discovery of this kind in 30 years. Anglo American is exploring for diamonds with Endiama, the state-owned diamond firm of Angola. De Beers announced in a press release that the joint venture's first drill hole in July 2025 was kimberlite. The company stated that further drilling, geophysical survey and laboratory analyses will be carried out over the next few month to confirm the type of kimberlite and assess its diamond-producing potential. Kimberlites, a...

The copper price rose for the third session in a row on Friday. This was boosted by expectations of a U.S. rate cut following a central banking appointment, and positive economic data from China. The benchmark three-month LME Copper on the London Metal Exchange increased 0.2% to $9,000 a metric tonne in open-outcry official trading. This is a continuation of a recovery after it reached its lowest level in three weeks on 31 July. Donald Trump, the U.S. president, announced on Thursday his choice to fill the vacant seat at Federal Reserve. This boosted hopes for interest rate reductions and...

The copper price rose on Friday, and was on track to gain a week-long increase. This was due to a lower dollar and the expectation of higher demand from China, which is a major consumer. As of 0750 GMT, the London Metal Exchange reported that three-month copper was up 0.3%, at $9,714 metric tons. The Shanghai Futures Exchange's most-traded copper contract rose by 0.1%, to 78 490 yuan per ton ($10 929.02). Data released Thursday showed that China’s exports exceeded forecasts in July as manufacturers took advantage of the fragile tariff truce, between Beijing and Washington, to ship goods. China's...

The copper price rose on Thursday, after the July trade data for China's top metals consumer beat expectations. A cautious optimism about a possible U.S. China trade agreement also helped. In official open-outcry trade, the price of three-month copper at the London Metal Exchange increased by 0.3% to $9701 per metric ton. David Wilson, analyst at BNP Paribas, said that "China's strong data on exports has given positive sentiment to the industrial metals." China's exports increased 7.2% in July compared to the same month last year, exceeding a polled forecast of 5.4%. Imports increased by 4.1% in July, despite expectations...

The Australian government announced on Tuesday that it would provide A$135 (US$87.4M) in financial assistance to two smelters in Australia's southern region owned by Nyrstar. Nyrstar is a subsidiary of commodity trader Trafigura. Trafigura placed its Port Pirie lead-smelting operations, in South Australia, and its zinc processing operation in Hobart in Tasmania under strategic review in early this year after high energy costs and lower processing fees rendered the businesses unprofitable. Nyrstar, as part of its review, assessed the potential of producing antimony, a critical mineral, at its Port Pirie facility, but it would require government assistance to do so....

Prices of copper rose on Monday, mainly due to supply concerns following a deadly mining accident in Chile, which is the world's largest producer. However, gains were limited by worries about the global economy. In open-outcry official trading, three-month copper at the London Metal Exchange rose 0.6% to $9.685 per metric ton, adding to Friday's modest gains. LME copper is up by a fifth from its low of over 16 months, reached in April. However, it has fallen back from an early July high of more that $10,000. U.S. Comex Copper Futures increased by 0.1% to $4.44 a lb. Last...

The dollar fell on Monday as a result of weaker than expected U.S. employment data. This boosted the odds for a Federal Reserve rate cut in September. As of 0712 GMT, the London Metal Exchange reported that three-month copper was up 0.5%, at $9,673 a metric ton. The Shanghai Futures Exchange's most traded copper contract rose 0.1%, to 78.330 yuan (10,915.70 dollars) per ton. The dollar index dropped 0.4% against a basket rival currencies, after the dismal U.S. employment report and President Donald Trump's firing of a senior labour official stunned investors. They then increased their bets on imminent Fed...

The U.S. Copper prices stabilized on Friday, after the largest one-day drop in history the day before. Market participants continued to evaluate a surprise decision by U.S. president Donald Trump to exempt refined metal from import tariffs of 50%. After a 22% plunge on Thursday, U.S. Comex September copper futures last rose 0.8% to $4.391 per lb or $9,680.5 per metric tonne. In official open-outcry trade, the benchmark three-month price of copper at the London Metal Exchange dropped by 0.2% to $9.592 per ton. The price pressure is being applied by the rising stock in LME registered warehouses, and the...