Analysis: Currencies

US inflation may slow, but the affordability debate is likely to keep raging

Even if overall inflation slows next year as the U.S. Federal Reserve anticipates, President Donald Trump will still face political headwinds over the cost of living with home mortgage rates expected...

EU agrees to indefinitely freeze Russian assets, removing obstacle to Ukraine loan

The European Union agreed on Friday to indefinitely freeze Russian central bank assets held in Europe, removing a big obstacle to using the cash to help Ukraine defend itself against Russia. ...

BOJ to pledge more rate hikes at next week's policy meeting, sources say

The Bank of Japan will likely maintain a pledge next week to keep raising interest rates, but stress the pace of further hikes will depend on how the economy reacts to each increase, said three...

Sterling dips after data shows surprise drop in UK GDP

The pound dipped on Friday after data showed the UK economy unexpectedly shrank in the three months to October.  Economic activity fell by 0.1% between August and October, while falling...

Russian central bank says EU plans to use its assets are illegal

Russia's central bank said on Friday European Union plans to use its assets were illegal and it reserved the right to employ all available means to protect its interests. It said...

Will it be a hike next year? Five questions for the ECB

The European Central Bank meets on Thursday, with traders suddenly speculating a rate hike could be on the cards in 2026. Since policymakers last met in October, there has been more...

Japan's core inflation likely held at 3.0% in November

Japan's core inflation rate likely held well above the central bank's 2% target in November, a Reuters poll showed on Friday, although moderating food price hikes have taken some pressure off...

India rupee steadies after hitting record low; drift lower may persist

The Indian rupee ended little changed after hitting a record low on Friday but notched its second weekly fall in a row as investors continued to fret over prolonged U.S.-India trade deal negotiations....

Trump thinks more should be done to lower interest rates, White House says

President Donald Trump was happy to see the Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points this week, but wants to see further reductions in borrowing costs, White House spokeswoman Karoline...

TSX opens lower as tech jitters weigh

Canada's main stock index opened lower on Thursday, with technology stocks leading losses, as renewed fears about lofty valuations following Oracle's disappointing results outweighed a widely expected...

US weekly jobless claims post largest increase in nearly 4-1/2 years amid seasonal volatility

The number of Americans filing new applications for unemployment benefits increased by the most in nearly 4-1/2 years last week, but the surge likely does not suggest a material weakening in labor...

Lukoil leans towards Xtellus' cashless bid for its foreign assets

Russia's Lukoil favours U.S. bank Xtellus Partners' bid for its global assets over a dozen rival bids, as it takes the form of a cashless deal that would return U.S.-held securities to the Russian oil...

ECB proposes simpler bank capital rules

The European Central Bank proposed a simplification of bank capital buffer rules on Thursday, looking to prune some of the complex regulation put in place after the global financial crisis without...

Bank of Japan reluctant to intervene on rising yields, sources say

The Bank of Japan sees limited need for emergency intervention to restrain rising bond yields, a move that runs counter to its effort to roll back stimulus, three sources familiar with its thinking...

Fed signals pause on rate cuts as investors navigate data darkness and leadership change

After three consecutive interest rate cuts, investors now confront an uncertain U.S. monetary policy outlook for the year ahead, clouded by persistent inflation, data gaps, and an impending leadership...

BOJ to hike rates to 0.75% in Dec, 1.0% by next Sept, majority of economists say- Reuters poll

The Bank of Japan will proceed with a 25-basis-point interest rate hike to 0.75% at its December meeting and raise borrowing costs to at least 1% by the end of September next year, a strong majority...

India stock benchmarks inch higher led by IT after Fed rate cut

India's equity benchmarks inched higher on Thursday after three sessions of losses, led by gains in information technology stocks after the U.S. Federal Reserve's 25-basis-point rate cut. ...

US rate futures raise rate-pause odds in January; still see two cuts in 2026

Futures on the federal funds rate, which measure the cost of unsecured overnight loans between banks, raised the odds on Wednesday that the Federal Reserve will pause its easing cycle at the next...

Fed's Powell says rate policy well positioned, future of policy not on pre-set course

Federal Reserve Chairman Jerome Powell said U.S. central bank interest rate policy is well positioned to respond to what lies ahead for the economy, declining to provide guidance whether another...