Trade tensions escalated sharply following the formal announcement by President Donald Trump of a 50% tariff on copper imports, effective August 1. The move reinforces the administration’s protectionist trajectory and further unsettles global markets. Price action in commodity and currency markets indicates investors are beginning to internalise the broader inflationary and policy implications of Trump’s […]

Global financial markets entered a renewed phase of caution following US President Donald Trump’s announcement of a higher than anticipated 50% tariff on metal imports, with additional levies targeting copper and pharmaceuticals reportedly under consideration. The abrupt escalation in trade policy has added to investor uncertainty, particularly given the lack of policy coherence and the

Global markets began the week on a firmer footing after President Donald Trump temporarily deferred the implementation of newly announced tariffs, signalling an openness to further negotiations. The delay, alongside ongoing bilateral trade talks, has eased short term uncertainty, allowing risk sentiment to improve moderately. The US dollar weakened slightly, while the euro advanced amid

Financial markets opened the week on a cautious note, marked by renewed trade tensions and policy uncertainty. The US dollar firmed against major peers as President Donald Trump reiterated his hardline stance on trade, announcing that tariff letters will be issued as early as today. His threat to impose an additional levy on nations aligning

Markets are navigating a mixed set of signals as President Donald Trump intensifies trade threats ahead of a critical July 9 deadline, while stronger than expected labour market data in the US has tempered expectations for immediate monetary easing. The US financial markets are closed for the Independence Day holiday, resulting in lighter trading conditions.

Financial markets are on high alert ahead of the release of the June US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) report, with investors weighing the implications of potential labour market softening for the trajectory of Federal Reserve (Fed) policy. The data is set to be pivotal for the near-term direction of the US dollar and broader risk sentiment,

Investor sentiment remains delicately balanced as markets navigate the interplay between persistent US trade threats and expectations of an increasingly accommodative Federal Reserve. President Donald Trump’s latest rhetoric targeting Japan specifically threatening fresh tariff hikes and criticising Tokyo’s restrictions on US rice imports has heightened trade policy uncertainty. Despite this, the US dollar has broadly

The US dollar softened and Treasury yields declined as market participants priced in the increased probability of earlier-than-anticipated monetary easing by the Federal Reserve. The shift in expectations was triggered by reports that President Donald Trump may soon announce an early successor to Fed Chair Jerome Powell, potentially before the end of Q3 2025. While

Markets exhibited cautious optimism as expectations for a US interest rate cut gained traction following nuanced remarks by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell and a series of follow up statements by regional Fed officials. Despite maintaining a broadly patient tone, Powell acknowledged growing downside risks from softening inflation and weakening consumer sentiment, prompting Treasury traders

Market sentiment improved modestly in early trading following a surprise announcement by US President Donald Trump that Israel and Iran have agreed to a provisional ceasefire. The development marks a potential de-escalation in a volatile two-week period of heightened geopolitical tension that had driven notable shifts across global financial markets. Crude oil retreated sharply on