Mumbai: India’s key stock gauges, led by banking and financial shares, slumped more than 1% each Monday on mounting concerns of an escalation in the West Asia conflict, while likely central bank intervention in the currency markets cushioned the rupee’s fall, but couldn’t prevent a record closing low for the unit. Benign inflation prospects on … Read more
Just weeks ago, it all felt so easy. Jerome Powell was poised to kick off the great monetary pivot in earnest thanks to the steady demise of inflation, while Corporate America’s famous profit machine vindicated the euphoria on Wall Street and beyond. Now after a week of geopolitical tensions and bond volatility, life is getting … Read more
Gold is a unique asset that embodies characteristics of both commodities and currencies while also serving as an investment asset. Mined like any other commodity, it holds intrinsic value and is sought after during financial uncertainty and geopolitical tensions, making it a form of anti-fiat currency. Its enduring appeal as a store of value spans … Read more
Crude oil prices gained about 10 percent in the first two months of 2024. The ongoing geopolitical tensions in the Middle East and reports of falling inventories assisted prices to edge higher. Worries over supply disruptions in the Middle East added concerns to the global crude oil market. The growing conflict between Israel and Hamas … Read more
Gold, reeling under hotter than expected December US CPI inflation data released on Thursday, caught a bid Friday as the US and the UK launched airstrikes on Iran-backed Houthis’ targets in Yemen to stop shipping attacks in the Red Sea. In a reaction, the Yemeni Group vowed to retaliate with an urgent response in the … Read more
Despite repeated OPEC plus output cuts and Israel-Hamas conflict, oil prices shed more than 13 percent in 2023 against its previous year’s average price. However, prices exhibited a varied move throughout the year driven by multiple factors that affected its fundamentals. US NYMEX oil started at nearly $80 a barrel in 2023 but pushed down … Read more
Following two consecutive years of underperformance, gold made a swift turnaround in 2023, gaining more than 15% in the international market. Multiple catalysts like geopolitical tensions, US Fed policy decisions, a volatile US currency, and a pessimistic global growth outlook reinforced its safe-haven status. The Russia-Ukraine war and the unforeseen events in West Asia due … Read more
