Currencies

Deutsche Bank's Mapping the World's Prices report provides a fascinating overview of the cost of living in the world's major metropolises. This year's edition, published on June 24, covers more than 69 cities and highlights striking dynamics in the cost of living and the crucial role of currencies in the hierarchy of the world's cities.Let’s take a closer look at where life is cheapest, where it’s painfully pricey, and how currency movements are drawing the map.Most expensive metropolises: A matter of strong currenciesThe United States and Switzerland dominate almost every...

Israel Defence Forces (IDF) on Wednesday, June 25, confirmed eliminating Haytham Abdullah Bakri, the head of the Al-Sadiq Currency Exchange in Southern Lebanon, for allegedly transferring Iranian funds to Hezbollah. IDF said the exchange facilitated the transfer of funds originating from the Iranian Quds Force for "Hezbollah terrorist activities."Hezbollah is a Shia Muslim political and military group in Lebanon with strong backing from Iran. Israel views Hezbollah as a terrorist organisation along with many other countries, including the UK and the  US."The 'Al-Sadiq' Currency Exchange serves as a funds storage and...

KUALA LUMPUR, June 25 — The ringgit ended firmer today, supported by easing geopolitical tensions and weaker United States (US) economic data that continued to pressure the greenback.At 6 pm, the local rose to 4.2335/2405 versus the greenback from Tuesday’s close of 4.2410/2465.SPI Asset Management managing partner Stephen Innes said that the sustained ceasefire between Israel and Iran has dampened safe-haven demand for the US dollar.“In addition, the US consumer confidence index deteriorated by 5.4 points in June, falling to 93.0 from 98.4 in May,” he told Bernama.Innes said that...

There’s a ridiculous and pervasive notion in finance that US Treasuries are “risk-free.” People repeat it without thinking. Financial institutions build portfolios around it. And for decades, the world has blindly accepted this trope as gospel. As a result, bonds—especially US Treasuries—became the de facto savings account for many in the post-1971 fiat currency era. Widely regarded as a safe, conservative place to park capital, US Treasuries are the foundation of the massive global bond market. The global bond market is now estimated to be worth more than $300 trillion....

Asian currencies were largely stable on Wednesday as traders watched for signs of whether a fragile U.S.-brokered ceasefire between Israel and Iran would hold. The U.S. dollar also remained rangebound amid mixed signals on interest rates from the Federal Reserve. The Australian dollar (AUDUSD) was flat despite weaker-than-expected CPI data for May, which reinforced expectations of further interest rate cuts by the Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA). Headline inflation dropped to a seven-month low, while trimmed mean inflation hit its lowest level in over three years. The data followed soft...

The Indian Rupee gains further to near 85.80 against the US Dollar amid a positive market mood.Oil prices are likely to fall further if Israel and Iran keep to the truce.Fed’s Powell reiterates that the central bank needs more clarity on tariffs before reducing interest rates.The Indian Rupee (INR) extends winning streak against the US Dollar (USD) for fourth trading day on Wednesday, posts a fresh weekly high around 85.80. The USD/INR pair slides further as the Indian currency strengthens on expectations that the Oil price could decline further, following...

Most equities extended a global rally on Wednesday (Jun 25) after Iran and Israel agreed to a ceasefire that ended more than a week of hostilities, while the US dollar struggled to recover from a sharp drop stoked by bets on a US interest rate cut.However, wariness over the agreement by the Middle East foes helped oil prices climb, though they are still well down from their highs on Monday. Investors around the world breathed a sigh of relief after US President Donald Trump announced the ceasefire days after US forces...

Asian stock markets found a degree of stability on Wednesday, with most regional indices trading steady to slightly higher. A fragile ceasefire between Israel and Iran, announced by US President Donald Trump, appeared to buoy investor sentiment, even as the situation in the Middle East remains tense. This cautious optimism, coupled with lower oil prices, is expected to provide a positive start for Indian benchmarks like the Sensex.A shaky truce between Israel and Iran has, for now, held, offering a respite from the acute geopolitical fears that had previously rattled...

Uttar Pradesh, Tamil Nadu and Maharashtra were the top three states which saw maximum cash movement through their currency chests in May, reflecting the demand for both credit and deposits in the states with the biggest populations and subnational economies, respectively. Latest central bank data also showed that five states accounted for around 40% of the Rs 2.97 lakh crore worth of cash deposited and Rs 3.29 lakh crore withdrawn through the currency chest in the respective states. AgenciesWhile the digital payments ecosystem in India has taken off, the demand...