Analysis: Currencies

French minister calls for extension of EU-US trade talks

PARIS -France's finance minister has called for extending EU-U.S. trade talks beyond the July 9 deadline in order to secure a better agreement. U.S. President Donald Trump has set the...

World economy faces 'pivotal moment', central bank body BIS says

LONDON -Trade tensions and fractious geopolitics risk exposing deep fault lines in the global financial system, central bank umbrella body the Bank for International Settlements, said in its latest...

Fed says banks can withstand economic downturn, clears way for dividend hikes

WASHINGTON -Twenty-two of the largest banks in the U.S. are well-positioned to weather a hypothetical severe economic downturn and continue lending, with firms maintaining robust capital levels even...

Summertime data to pave way for Fed rate cuts, or further conflict with Trump

WASHINGTON -An unexpected pickup in underlying inflation last month nudged price pressures further from the Federal Reserve's 2% target, putting this summer's data in the spotlight for whether the...

India's Modi to attend next week's BRICS summit in Brazil

NEW DELHI -India's Prime Minister Narendra Modi will travel to Brazil from July 5-8 to attend the BRICS Summit, New Delhi said in a statement on Friday. BRICS, founded as a grouping of...

Canada's GDP contracts in April, likely another decline in May

OTTAWA -Canada's economy contracted in April on a monthly basis, data showed on Friday, as sectors exposed to tariffs and uncertainty negated a boost from services. Gross domestic...

US consumer spending falls; tariff-related boost to inflation awaited

WASHINGTON -U.S. consumer spending unexpectedly fell in May as the boost from the pre-emptive buying of goods like motor vehicles ahead of the Trump administration's tariffs faded, while monthly...

Dollar question hovers over top central bankers meeting in Sintra

FRANKFURT -A million-dollar question will hang over the world's top central bankers when they meet in Sintra, Portugal, next week: Is the monetary system centred on the U.S. currency beginning to...

S&P 500, Nasdaq hit record closing highs amid trade negotiations, rate cut bets

NEW YORK -Wall Street extended its rally on Friday, sending S&P 500 and Nasdaq to all-time closing highs as trade deal hopes fueled investor risk appetite and economic data helped solidify...

French inflation rises to 0.8% in June as service costs accelerate

French consumer prices rose more than expected in June, ending a streak of declining inflation as service costs accelerated and energy price falls moderated, preliminary data from statistics agency...

Dollar gains as Trump reignites trade concerns

NEW YORK -The dollar retraced earlier losses against the euro on Friday after U.S. President Donald Trump said the United States was ending trade talks with Canada and that he would consider bombing...

US demand for China-made goods ebbs on tariff worries; ocean shipping rates drop

LOS ANGELES -Rates for shipping cargo containers from China to the U.S. have dropped by more than half since earlier this month, as imports rebounded less than expected after the slump that followed...

Market bets on a more dovish Fed as Trump eyes Powell's replacement

NEW YORK -The gulf between where the Federal Reserve projects interest rates will be by the end of 2026 and the more aggressive cutting financial markets expect by then is partly due to the...

Trump decision on Fed not imminent, source says

* Goolsbee says there is only one Fed chief * Chicago Fed president says a nominee for top Fed job is free to have opinions * Trump has...

Fed's Collins: not enough data by July to decide on a rate cut

Boston Federal Reserve Bank President Susan Collins on Thursday signaled she feels July would be too soon to considering cutting interest rates. We're only going to have really one more...

Fed's Barr says banks must manage climate risk

Federal Reserve Governor Michael Barr on Thursday said the U.S. central bank needs to ensure that banks are measuring and managing climate-related risk as they do other risks. I think...

Fed rate cut in July? Inside the US central bank, few takers

President Donald Trump says that tame inflation means the Federal Reserve should already be reducing its policy rate, but inside the U.S. central bank the idea has little traction, with only two Fed...

US labor market softening as more people remain on unemployment rolls

WASHINGTON -The number of Americans filing new applications for jobless benefits fell last week, but work opportunities are becoming scarce as businesses remain hesitant to hire because of an...

Canada home prices to decline 2% as trade war hits homebuyer confidence 

BENGALURU -Canada home prices are set to decline 2% this year and stagnate in 2026, a significant downgrade from expectations of modest rises just three months ago, according to a Reuters poll of...