Analysis: Currencies

ECB keeps rates unchanged, signal comfort with dollar weakness

The European Central Bank left interest rates on hold as expected on Thursday and played down the impact of dollar moves on its future choices, with a largely unchanged inflation outlook also...

Hedge funds jump into volatile January to reap returns

Hedge funds posted positive returns in January thanks to ripples of market volatility stemming from U.S. military action in Venezuela, questions around the independence of the Federal Reserve and a...

Russian services sector sees strongest growth in a year, VAT hike fuels inflation

Russia's services sector expanded at its fastest pace in a year in January, buoyed by stronger demand and a rise in new orders, an S&P Global survey showed on Wednesday. The S&P Global...

Euro zone faces inflation hurdle before ECB

A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Rae Wee A look at the day ahead in European and global markets from Rae Wee Euro zone preliminary inflation data...

Ultra-low bond spread unity still out of reach for euro area

Euro zone sovereign bond yield spreads are at their lowest since Lehman Brothers collapsed in 2008, but investors say steeper falls will be difficult without deeper reforms, as volatile geopolitics...

Yen heads for fourth straight day of losses ahead of Japan's elections

The dollar rose against the yen on Wednesday, pushing the Japanese currency towards its fourth consecutive daily decline ahead of elections expected to boost Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's fiscal and...

Sterling steady as traders eye Bank of England decision

The pound was little changed on Tuesday as a light economic calendar made for steady trading ahead of the Bank of England's interest rate decision on Thursday. Sterling was last trading...

Euro zone banks tightening access to business credit, ECB survey shows

Euro zone banks tightened access to corporate credit last quarter and expect to see further tightening ahead due to widespread economic uncertainty, partly related to trade policies, the European...

Russia's 2026 GDP growth is seen at 1-1.3%, deputy PM Novak says

Russia's gross domestic product is expected to grow by 1 to 1.3% in 2026, Deputy Prime Minister Alexander Novak said on Tuesday. For 2025, growth was estimated at 1% and the jobless...

Top consulting firms test boundaries with China workarounds

Faced with a fraught geopolitical environment, global consultancies are turning to riskier ways to do business in China that some industry and legal experts say test the boundaries of Western...

US to cut tariffs on India to 18%, India agrees to end Russian oil purchases

U.S. President Donald Trump on Monday announced a trade deal with India that slashes U.S. tariffs on Indian goods to 18% from 50% in exchange for India halting Russian oil purchases and lowering trade...

EU efforts to diversify critical raw material imports fail so far, auditors say

The European Court of Auditors said on Monday the EU's efforts to diversify its imports of metals and minerals critical to tech, defence and the energy transition had yet to produce tangible results....

EURO / US DOLLAR (EUR/USD): EUR/USD: Possible End to recent trend

The appointment of Kevin Warsh as chairman of the Federal Reserve has turned the tide for the dollar, while deepening the sell-off in precious metals. Amongst the contenders, Warsh is a surprising...

Currencies: Volatility at every level

For some, making it to the end of the month can be tough. For investors, the end of January was marked above all by heightened volatility across most asset classes: a sharp drop in precious metals,...

Sterling steady near $1.37 as eyes turn to BoE announcement 

The pound held steady against the dollar on Monday near a multi-year high hit last week as attention focused on a Bank of England policy announcement on Thursday.  Sterling was last up...

Euro zone firms see deteriorating profits, ECB survey shows

Euro zone firms expect revenues to keep rising this quarter but profitability is taking a hit, the European Central Bank's quarterly Survey on the Access to Finance of Enterprises showed on Monday. ...

Russian manufacturing contraction eases but VAT hike fuels inflation, PMI shows

Russia's manufacturing sector showed signs of stabilisation in January, with the pace of contraction in output and new orders easing, although a recent increase in value-added tax drove inflationary...

UK wants closer EU defence ties with potential bid to join new SAFE fund

British Prime Minister Keir Starmer said his government will consider applying to join a second possible multi-billion-euro European Union fund for defence projects as his ministers prepare for talks...

Euro zone economy ends 2025 with solid growth despite low exports, US trade strife

The euro zone economy grew quicker than expected last quarter as consumption and investments kicked into higher gear, offsetting low exports and the exceptional uncertainty emanating from U.S. trade...