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Asian equities mostly held their own yesterday in the face of the weekend Russia sanction news, although European ones, as expected, were stretchered off injured. A Ukraine-Russia meeting was as good a reason as having a clutching-at-straws rally.

01-03-2022 04:11 GMT by Jeffrey Halley

Crude rallies, Gold hovers around USD 1900

Oil surges as West tightens sanctions Crude prices surged after the West delivered a stronger round of sanctions that raised the risk that Russian energy supplies could be next to get targeted. Energy traders are awaiting the US and allies to tap their strategic reserves, which could unleash 70 million barrels of oil. The oil market will remain very volatile as the risk of losing access to Russian energy supplies grows. The uncertainty over how the Ukraine war will unfold has too many risks

28-02-2022 15:40 GMT by Edward Moya

Stock pare losses, bitcoin breakout

US stocks clawed back losses as investors prepared for a massive economic downfall for Russia now that the Western nations are intensifying sanctions. Wall Street finished in the red as Russia’s financial meltdown led to some contagion worries and as surging commodity prices will continue to fuel inflationary pressures that will lead to growth concerns later this year.

28-02-2022 15:35 GMT by Edward Moya

Yen posts gains despite weak data

Japanese production, retail sales fall Japan's factory output declined for a second consecutive month as supply disruptions continue to take a toll on manufacturing. Industrial production for January fell 1.3% m/m, worse than the consensus of -0.7%.

28-02-2022 12:06 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Powerful sanctions hit risk appetite

We're seeing widespread risk aversion once more on Monday after new severe sanctions were levied against Russia over the weekend. The response to previous sanctions was underwhelming, to say the least, but the latest batch undoubtedly has the teeth that the others lacked. That's been most clearly evident in the FX markets, where the rouble plunged more than 30% to record lows and that could have been much worse but for swift action by the central bank. An emergency rate hike - raising the key

28-02-2022 10:43 GMT by Craig Erlam

Oil closes in on USD 100, gold rises

Oil eyeing USD 100 again as the US considers another SPR release and a nuclear deal Oil prices are naturally rallying strongly at the start of the week. Brent and WTI are both closing in on USD 100 once again and only a significant de-escalation looks likely to derail that.

28-02-2022 10:40 GMT by Craig Erlam

Aussie active ahead of RBA meeting

The Australian dollar started the trading week with considerable losses but has recovered and is unchanged on the day. Volatility continues due to Ukraine crisis The financial markets remain focused on Ukraine, where the Russian invasion continues and the capital Kyiv is bracing for a Russian onslaught at any time. Russian and Ukrainian officials are currently meeting on the Belarus-Ukraine border to discuss a cease-fire, although expectations for a breakthrough are low.

28-02-2022 10:02 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

NZ dollar dips as business confidence slides

New Zealand business confidence plunges The week started on a sour note, as ANZ New Zealand Business Confidence plunged in January, with a reading of -51.8. This was a sharp drop from the December read of -23.2.

28-02-2022 08:36 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Euro volatile as Ukraine crisis in focus

The euro remains under pressure and was down close to 1% earlier in the day. EUR/USD has recovered and is currently trading at 1.1215, down 0.50%.

28-02-2022 06:03 GMT by Kenneth Fisher

Oil, gold rise on risk aversion

Oil prices are sharply higher on enhanced sanctions Unsurprisingly, the sharp escalations in sanctions over the weekend, which sparked panic among ordinary Russians, has seen oil open sharply higher today. Brent crude has soared 3.50% to USD 101.85 a barrel, and WTI has rocketed 4.55% higher to USD 96.10 a barrel. Oil prices are, in fact, slightly off initial highs, potentially on hopes from the Ukraine-Russia meeting, with similar price action seen in equity and currency markets.

28-02-2022 04:25 GMT by Jeffrey Halley

Asian markets in choppy waters

Asian equities are impressively resilient US futures were crushed at the Asian open this morning, unwinding all of Friday's impressive gains. Since then, US index futures have pared some of those initial losses, while several key Asian markets are actually trading in positive territory. Futures on the S&P 500 are 1.20% lower, while the Nasdaq has tumbled by 1.85%.

28-02-2022 04:16 GMT by Jeffrey Halley

It’s all about Ukraine

As we enter the end of February and the beginning of March, I could be discussing the very busy week of data ahead and its implications on monetary policy. But who are we kidding?

28-02-2022 03:35 GMT by Jeffrey Halley

Bitcoin - Better days ahead?

Survived another big test It's been quite the turnaround in the markets over the last 24 hours as traders quickly morphed from panicking about Russia invading Ukraine to seemingly being more hopeful and buying the dips. The recovery has been nothing short of remarkable, especially when you consider what is still happening in Ukraine. But as we can see in bitcoin, risk appetite has returned in a big way and the outlook for the crypto is looking far more positive. The fact that it failed to bre

25-02-2022 15:29 GMT by Craig Erlam

US Close: Stock rebound continues, Fed's favorite inflation reading hits highest level since 1983, Consumer Spending rebounds

US stocks are rallying as Wall Street anticipates central bank reluctance to go overly aggressive with tightening monetary policy, so they could provide a cushion for a growth hit that will stem the Russia-Ukraine developments. Even as Russian troops move in on Ukraine’s capital, risk appetite got a boost from Moscow’s signal that they could be ready to have talks with the Ukrainian government.

25-02-2022 14:16 GMT by Edward Moya

Commodities and Cryptos: Crude declines, Gold weakens, Bitcoin follows risk rally

Oil Crude prices continue to drop as energy traders realize that War in Ukraine probably won’t lead to any disruptions of Russian crude to Europe. Despite the potential for talks between Moscow and Ukraine officials, the situation in Ukraine continues to escalate as Russian forces make a move for Ukraine’s capital. Taking over Kiev would be followed by a strong reaction from Western leaders, which should suggest all sanctions remain on the table, including Russia crude oil and gas. WTI crude

25-02-2022 14:16 GMT by Edward Moya

Market Insights Podcast (Episode 299)

Jonny Hart looks back on the week's business and markets news with OANDA Senior Market Analyst Ed Moya in New York. This week they discuss how financial markets reacted to the War in Ukraine, what is driving the oil markets and what to expect going forward, recap the latest round US economic data, and how cryptos staged quite the comeback. They also discuss what the week ahead has in store for financial markets.

25-02-2022 14:01 GMT by Edward Moya

Week Ahead - Shock waves

It's been another week of significant volatility in financial markets and there's little reason to expect next week will be any different. The Russian invasion of Ukraine sent shock waves around the world and the ripple effects were felt throughout the markets as investors were forced to consider what the consequences would be for everything from commodity prices to interest rates.

25-02-2022 13:39 GMT by Craig Erlam

Safe-haven gold soars

OANDA Senior Market Analyst Craig Erlam discusses gold after Russia invaded Ukraine.

25-02-2022 10:01 GMT by Craig Erlam

Oil falls below USD 100, gold softens

Oil slips back below $100 Oil prices are marginally up on the day but are back below USD 100 after giving up almost all of the gains since the invasion began. Don't get me wrong, crude trading near USD 100 is still very high and there remains plenty of Ukraine risk premium priced in at these levels, but it's given up those gains very quickly. I expect we'll continue to see plenty of volatility in oil markets for some time, with plenty of interest in the dips as geopolitical tensions remain so

25-02-2022 08:59 GMT by Craig Erlam

Equities bounce back

Stock markets in Europe are rebounding strongly on Friday, just one day after plunging on the back of Russia's invasion of Ukraine. It's a remarkable turnaround when you consider that the invasion is still taking place and sanctions are being drawn up. There is still huge uncertainty around how bad the situation will get, given how quickly it has escalated over the last few days, which makes the shift in risk appetite all the more surprising. With oil trading back below USD 100 a barrel and ga

25-02-2022 08:52 GMT by Craig Erlam

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