The U.S. dollar dropped to its lowest level since April 2022, driven by rising tensions in the Middle East and fragile trade relations between Washington and Beijing. As investors flocked to safe-haven assets, the global stock rally decelerated, with the MSCI All-Country World Index stagnating just below its record high.Oil prices briefly surged by 4% before retreating, influenced by the U.S.'s relocation of personnel from the Middle East due to increased security risks. The ongoing volatility in economic policies prompted concerns, as President Trump's tariffs and fluctuating trade relations...
WASHINGTON (TNND) — The U.S. economy is showing signs of stability, but a wave of layoffs is sweeping through major companies, including Procter & Gamble, Microsoft, Citigroup, Walmart, Klarna, Disney, Paramount, and Warner Bros. Discovery, according to CNBC. Despite a steady labor market, these companies are under pressure to reduce costs due to global uncertainty linked to tariffs imposed by President Donald Trump. Experts indicate that while government job cuts are decreasing, companies are still feeling the financial strain. Many have resorted to raising prices, but layoffs remain a significant...
It’s been a tough few months for believers in the currency market version of Pax Americana.Dollar critics confidently proclaim that its reign is over. In Asia, this is a "sell America” moment. Any sane investor is scouring the planet for an alternative — one that offers all the advantages of the incumbent but none of the downside. Europeans also want in, extolling the virtues of the euro.Good luck with that. One of my reservations about this bearishness isn’t that the upheavals induced by U.S. President Donald Trump — tariffs, an...
Sign up to receive CFR President Mike Froman’s analysis on the most important foreign policy story of the week, delivered to your inbox every Friday afternoon. Subscribe to The World This Week. More From Our Experts Greetings from Tokyo. More on: Japan United States U.S. Economy Trade My deep interest in Japan dates back to my days working as a young summer associate at a Japanese law firm in Tokyo in 1989. (My now-wife, Nancy, worked at the rival law firm.) In those days, Japan was in the midst of an incredible economic boom...
Rising property taxes over the past five years have exacerbated American homeowners' housing affordability struggles, with many reporting that they are now paying much more than they initially budgeted for them.According to a new survey by property tax appeal service Ownwell, 66 percent of homeowners in the U.S. say their bill is higher than they budgeted for, while three in four (74 percent) are worried about paying even more in the near future.Why It MattersBetween 2019 and 2024, property tax bills have gone up in nearly every U.S. metropolitan area,...
Following steep declines on Monday, U.S. equities continued to lose ground on Tuesday. President Donald Trump's decision to double tariffs on Canadian metal imports has fueled fears of an economic recession. Despite the bearish trend, U.S. Treasury yields climbed, accompanied by a rise in oil prices.Investors were unsettled by Trump's refusal to rule out a recession due to his trade policies. Adding to market jitters, small-business confidence dropped for the third consecutive month in February. Analysts like Phil Blancato from Osaic Wealth highlight a slowdown in consumer spending as...