archiveScott Bessent

Buying a home in America could get harder. Homebuilder PulteGroup (PHM) warned on its post-earnings conference call that rising tariff costs will pressure home prices, affecting every price point in their markets. “We're in the range of $5,000 on average, and it will impact every single price point and consumer group that we serve. There might be a few minor nuances, but it's pretty broad across the spectrum,” PulteGroup CEO Ryan Marshall told investors and analysts on the company's first quarter earnings call Tuesday morning. The warning comes as PHM...

The dollar drifted lower on Monday after an early bump off a three-year low, as investor confidence in the world’s reserve currency remained in question following a stream of tariff-related pronouncements from US President Donald Trump.Investors braced for another volatile week as Trump’s imposition and then abrupt postponement of tariffs on goods imported to the US continued to sow confusion.The dollar reversed early gains as the Asian trading session got under way, languishing near a 10-year low against the Swiss franc at 0.8188.Sterling held to most of its 1.7 per...

Japan has denied an accusation by US President Donald Trump that it is manipulating the yen to benefit local manufacturers after the American leader suggested he is planning to impose retaliatory tariffs if his demands are not met.Speaking to reporters in the White House on Monday night, Trump singled out Japan and China for criticism.“Whether it is Japan or China, the weak currency against the dollar puts us at a great disadvantage,” Trump said. “It is hard for Caterpillar to make tractors when Japan and China are devaluing their currencies.“I...