Analysis: Currencies

Russian government explores way to make ends meet as budget deadline looms

The Russian government is considering raising the rate of value-added tax to keep the budget deficit in check and maintain reserves, four sources told Reuters, despite public assurances from President...

EU Commission proposes suspending free-trade arrangements on Israeli goods

The European Commission on Wednesday proposed suspending a trade arrangement affecting about 5.8 billion euros of Israeli exports due to the Gaza war, although the measure does not currently have...

Russia's space chief promises an analogue for Musk's Starlink soon

MOSCOW -Russia will soon have an analogue to Elon Musk's satellite internet service Starlink, Dmitry Bakanov, the head of Russia's Roscosmos space agency was quoted by state news agencies as saying...

Food prices drive British inflation to 3.8% in August, above US, euro zone

British inflation in August held at 3.8%, official data showed on Wednesday, the highest among major advanced economies and reinforcing expectations that the Bank of England will not cut interest...

Russia's Medvedev says 2026 'wartime' budget should safeguard social spending

MOSCOW -Former Russian President Dmitry Medvedev called the draft 2026 budget, now in preparation, a wartime budget and said social spending including support for veterans of the conflict in Ukraine...

German home prices set for steady recovery over next two years, affordability to worsen

BENGALURU -German home prices will rise 3% in 2025, after a two-year decline, and grow slightly faster through 2027, according to a Reuters poll of property experts who said affordability would...

EU falling behind on growth, reforms even more urgent, says Draghi

BRUSSELS -The European Union is falling further behind global rivals on growth and governments are failing to grasp the urgency to act, former European Central Bank president and Italian prime...

Russia's Putin says measures to reduce inflation are working, but growth needs work

MOSCOW -Russian President Vladimir Putin told a government meeting on Monday that measures to reduce inflation were working, but questioned whether more needed to be done to boost growth. ...

Currencies: Central banks in sight

As you know, this is THE week for central bankers, even though the US Federal Reserve is likely to overshadow its counterparts. If there is a surprise, it is unlikely to come from the rate cut itself,...

Sterling firms heading into busy week of central bank decisions

Sterling gained against the dollar and the euro on Monday as investors braced for a week of pivotal central bank decisions in which the U.S. Federal Reserve is expected to cut interest rates and the...

Russia warns Europe: we will go after any state which takes our assets

Russia on Monday warned it would go after any European state that sought to take its assets after reports that the European Union is looking for new ways to leverage hundreds of billions of dollars of...

Dollar eases ahead of central bank bonanza, eyes on Fed

The dollar slipped on Monday ahead of a pivotal week filled with central bank decisions headlined by the Federal Reserve, while the euro hardly reacted to Fitch's downgrade of France's credit rating....

Sterling slips as economy stagnates; eyes on BoE

LONDON -The British pound dropped against the dollar on Friday after data showed the economy had stagnated in July, although it was still set for its second weekly rise before a Bank of England...

Currencies: Its fate is sealed

Reactions to the release of the US jobs report seem to confirm an easing of key interest rates following the forthcoming monetary policy committee meeting on Wednesday September 17. The question now...

Dollar on back foot as jobless claims firm up Fed rate cut views

SINGAPORE -The dollar remained under pressure on Friday as a surge in U.S. jobless claims and a modest tick up in inflation kept investors zeroed in on likely Federal Reserve interest rate cuts next...

EU's top court rules against Hungary's nuclear state aid

AMSTERDAM -The EU's top court said on Thursday the European Commission should not have approved Hungarian state aid for the expansion of its Paks atomic plant by a Russian company, ruling that the...

Russia revises up September oil exports from western ports by 11%, sources say

MOSCOW -Russia has revised up its September crude export plan from western ports to 2.1 million barrels per day , an 11% increase from the initial schedule, as drone attacks on domestic refineries...

Russia considers moratorium on bankruptcies of indebted metals giants

MOSCOW -Russia is considering a moratorium on bankruptcies in the metals industry, a government document showed on Wednesday, in a sign of growing concern about a sector struggling with falling...

China's retaliatory tariffs to squeeze EU pork producers

PARIS -European pork producers face a squeeze on profit margins after China, their largest market, imposed anti-dumping duties of up to 62.4% on imports of EU pork products. The...