US Secretary of State Antony Blinken wrapped up his just-concluded latest visit to China with a stop at a Beijing record store where he bought albums by Taylor Swift and Chinese rocker Dou Wei in a symbolic nod to cross-cultural exchanges and understanding he had been promoting for three days. Music, he said at the … 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
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
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
