Analysis: Currencies

Currencies: New bout of weakness

To hell with greed. Jerome Powell seems determined to loosen the purse strings by cutting rates in September. In Fed chairman terms, this translates as: The central scenario and the evolution of the...

South African rand weakens as investors await local data signals

JOHANNESBURG -The South African rand was on the backfoot on Monday as investors booked profits after a rally that took the currency to a nine-month peak. At 1522 GMT the rand traded at...

Major brokerages pivot to Sept Fed rate cut on Powell's labor warning

Major brokerages, including Barclays, BNP Paribas and Deutsche Bank, now expect a 25-basis-point U.S. Federal Reserve rate cut in September following Chair Jerome Powell's shift in tone at Jackson...

India rupee slips for fourth session on tariff anxiety, importer bids

The Indian rupee gave up early gains to end lower on Monday as concerns over steep tariffs on Indian goods spurred dollar demand, with importer bids adding pressure.   The currency...

Dollar rebounds from slump spurred by Powell's dovish surprise

NEW YORK -The dollar advanced against major currencies on Monday, bouncing from a steep fall last week that followed remarks from Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell that boosted expectations for a...

Trump says he'll fire Fed's Cook if she doesn't resign over mortgage questions

WASHINGTON -U.S. President Donald Trump on Friday said he would fire Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook if she doesn't resign, intensifying his effort to gain influence over the U.S. central bank. ...

Fed's Powell opens door to September easing

NEW YORK -U.S. Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Friday pointed to a possible rate cut at the central bank's September meeting but stopped short of committing to it in remarks that walked a...

Fed's Powell says monetary policy framework back on more traditional footing

Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Friday announced an updated operating framework more oriented toward traditional efforts of promoting price stability, supplanting what had been a troubled...

Powell says Fed may need to cut rates, will proceed carefully

JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming -Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Friday signaled a possible interest rate cut at the U.S. central bank's meeting next month, saying that risks to the job market were...

New Zealand's central bank may cut interest rates twice more this year to 2.50%

BENGALURU -New Zealand's central bank will likely cut its key interest rate twice more this year, taking it to 2.50%, according to a majority of economists polled by Reuters following the latest...

US DOJ to probe Fed's Cook, urging removal, Bloomberg News reports

JACKSON HOLE, Wyoming -The U.S. Justice Department plans to investigate Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, with a top official informing Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell of the probe and...

Investors see risks for market as Powell walks tightrope at Jackson Hole

NEW YORK -Investors are bracing for volatility as Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell walks a fine line between curbing inflation and supporting the labor market, with thin August trading poised to...

China suspends Argentine poultry imports five months after ban lifted

BEIJING -China has suspended imports of Argentine poultry products from August 20, just five months after lifting a two-year ban. The ban came after the Argentine government temporarily...

India, Russia agree to boost trade ties after foreign ministers meet in Moscow

MOSCOW -India and Russia agreed to boost trade ties on Thursday as their foreign ministers met in Moscow, giving little indication that U.S. President Donald Trump's hefty tariffs on India for buying...

Fed's expansive experiment in strategy to get a reboot at Jackson Hole

JACKSON, Wyoming -The U.S. Federal Reserve's pivot toward the labor market in 2020 will get a reboot on Friday when Fed Chair Jerome Powell is expected to release a new framework for the central bank...

Russia orders state-backed MAX messenger app, a WhatsApp rival, pre-installed on phones and tablets

MOSCOW -A Russian state-backed messenger application called MAX, a rival to WhatsApp that critics say could be used to track users, must be pre-installed on all mobile phones and tablets from next...

South African rand slips as investors focus on Fed symposium

JOHANNESBURG -The South African rand weakened on Thursday, as investors looked to the U.S. Federal Reserve's annual Jackson Hole symposium for clarity on the economic outlook and policy direction. ...

Russian central bank official says further rate cut this year is not a foregone conclusion

MOSCOW -Russia's central bank may be able to cut its key interest rate from 18% this year if inflation slows rapidly, but it does not rule out holding it at that level in order to achieve a...

Dollar gains before key Powell speech at Jackson Hole on Friday

NEW YORK -The dollar gained on Thursday before a highly anticipated speech by Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell on Friday will be evaluated for any new clues on whether the U.S. central bank is...