* Two more Fed cuts expected this year after weak ADP jobs report. * U.S. government shutdown lifts demand for safe-haven gold, bonds. * Oil pauses 3-day slide on prospect of tighter Russia sanctions. By Kevin Buckland.
Australia's surplus on goods trade shrank sharply in August as shipments of gold plunged after a run of strong months, data showed on Thursday, while imports were up across the board. The Australian Bureau of Statistics reported the surplus on goods fell to A$1.8 billion in August, from a revised A$6.6 billion in July. Exports dived climbed 7.8%, led by a 47% drop in non-monetary gold.
Gold eased on Thursday from the record
high hit the day before, pressured by profit-taking and a slight
uptick in the dollar, although expectations of further U.S. rate
cuts and political uncertainty ...
Fitch said on Wednesday it does not expect the ongoing U.S. government shutdown to affect the country's sovereign ratings in the near term, adding that any impact on economic growth would depend on its scope and duration.
Blackrock Taxable Municipal Bond Trust (BBN) : * DISTRIBUTION DATES AND AMOUNTS ANNOUNCED FOR CERTAIN BLACKROCK CLOSED-END FUNDS Source text: Further company coverage:
California Water Service Group (CWT) today announced today the sale of $170,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of Senior Unsecured Notes by Group and $200,000,000 in aggregate principal amount of First Mortgage Bonds by California Water Service Company, a wholly owned subsidiary of Group, in private placement transactions.
TRADING DAY. Making sense of the forces driving global markets. By Jamie McGeever, Markets Columnist?. Wall Street and world stocks rose on Wednesday, reversing early losses on worries over the U.S. government shutdown, as soft private sector U.S. employment data bolstered expectations of further monetary easing from the Federal Reserve.
TRADING DAY. Making sense of the forces driving global markets. By Jamie McGeever, Markets Columnist. Wall Street and world stocks rose on Wednesday, reversing early losses on worries over the U.S. government shutdown, as soft private sector U.S. employment data bolstered expectations of further monetary easing from the Federal Reserve.
BlackRock (BLK) announced today the planned termination of the iShares iBonds Dec 2025 Term Muni Bond ETF which includes the following timelines for trading, net-asset value calculation and expected liquidation: iBonds ETFs are designed to cease trading and mature during a specific maturity window like an individual bond. iBonds ETFs across treasuries, municipal bonds, and both investment-grade and h...
Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd (RCL): * ROYAL CARIBBEAN GROUP ANNOUNCES COMPLETION OF $1.5 BILLION OFFERING OF SENIOR UNSECURED NOTES Source text: Further company coverage:
MIAMI, Oct. 1, 2025 Royal Caribbean Cruises Ltd. (RCL) today announced that it has completed its registered public offering of $1.5 billion aggregate principal amount of 5.375% senior unsecured notes due 2036.
Entrepreneurial Center to Fund In-Depth Technical Assistance with Grant San Antonio, Texas, entrepreneurs are getting a boost from $30,000 in grant funds from the Federal Home Loan Bank of Dallas and Texas Capital. This press release features multimedia.
AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++ and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ?bbb? of Sura Re Ltd.. The outlook of these Credit Ratings is stable. The ratings reflect Sura Re?s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as very strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, limited business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.
Summit Utilities Oklahoma used reserve funds to help cover an Oct. 1 payment on taxable bonds sold in 2022 through the Oklahoma Development Finance Authority.
-The U.S. government shutdown has thrown the brakes on the flow of federal economic data at a moment of uncertainty and division among policymakers like those at the Federal Reserve about the health of the U.S. job market, the trajectory of inflation and the strength of consumer spending and business investment.
Two surveys released Wednesday presented mixed trends in the US manufacturing sector for September, with Institute for Supply Management data showing continued contraction and an S&P Global (SPGI) report indicating growth losing steam amid tariffs-related concerns. The ISM purchasing managers' index edged up to 49.1 last month from 48.7 in August, but marked a seven straight month of contraction.
There were several developments since the July Monetary Policy Report that pushed the Bank of Canada to resume an interest rate easing cycle in September, even as there were some arguments in favour of keeping policy unchanged, while Governing Council members didn't offer any clues about the future path, said Tiago Figueiredo over at Desjardins after reading the central bank's latest 'Summary o...
The Supreme Court said that they would hear oral arguments on President Trump's ability to dismiss Fed Governor Lisa Cook in January, allowing her to remain in her position until at least then, and possibly until their ruling in the summer.
* Canadian dollar falls 0.2% against the greenback. * Trades in a range of 1.3907 to 1.3957. * Manufacturing PMI falls to 47.7 in September. * Bond yields trade mixed across the curve. By Fergal Smith. The Canadian dollar weakened against its U.S. counterpart on Wednesday, moving closer to a recent four-month low, as domestic data showed a deeper downturn in the manufacturing sector.
Financial stocks were decreasing in Wednesday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index down 0.5% and the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund shedding 0.7%. The Philadelphia Housing Index was easing 0.1%, and the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund was slipping 0.2%. Bitcoin was increasing 3.1% to $117,536, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was decreasing 3 basis points to 4.12%. US ...
-Fitch said on Wednesday it does not expect the ongoing U.S. government shutdown to affect the country's sovereign ratings in the near term, adding that any impact on economic growth would depend on its scope and duration.
AM Best has revised the outlooks to positive from stable and affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A- and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ?a-? of Grupo Mexicano de Seguros, S.A. de C.V.. At the same time, AM Best has affirmed GMX?s Mexico National Scale Rating of ?aaa.MX? with a stable outlook.
US equity indexes were mixed in midday trading on Wednesday as healthcare helped offset losses, while a failure by lawmakers to extend fiscal-year 2025 funding by Tuesday midnight sent government bond yields lower.
Financial stocks were decreasing in Wednesday afternoon trading, with the NYSE Financial Index down 0.5% and the Financial Select Sector SPDR Fund lower by 0.7%. The Philadelphia Housing Index was easing 0.1%, and the Real Estate Select Sector SPDR Fund was slipping 0.2%. Bitcoin was increasing 3.1% to $117,536, and the yield for 10-year US Treasuries was decreasing 3 basis points to 4.12%. In ...
-The Bank of Canada expects to release baseline projections for the economy and inflation with its monetary policy report in October, its summary of deliberations released on Wednesday showed. The central bank had stopped giving definitive estimates for Canada's economy from the second quarter and instead opted to lay out a range of projections based on how U.S. tariffs impact the economy.
National Bank of Canada on Wednesday maintained an outperform rating and C$84.00 price target on the shares of Exchange Income (EIFZF) ahead of the company's third quarter results.
U.S. manufacturing activity edged up in September, though new orders and employment were subdued as factories grappled with the fallout from President Donald Trump's sweeping tariffs.
The U.S. dollar, long renowned for its strength, has been weakened by President Donald Trump's stiff tariffs, his attacks on the Federal Reserve and his distancing from allies and global institutions.
* FTSE 100 up 1%, FTSE 250 rises 0.2% * Tate & Lyle (TATYF) falls after cutting profit outlook. * UK's healthcare stocks gain after US deal with Pfizer. * UK manufacturing shrinks at fastest pace in 5 months, PMI shows.
Employment in the US private sector fell in September, Automatic Data Processing (ADP) reported Wednesday, while a federal government shutdown left the release of the official jobs report for last month in limbo. Private jobs decreased by 32,000 last month, ADP reported.
AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of A+ and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of ?aa? of Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd and its rated operating affiliates, all subsidiaries of Swiss Re Ltd. At the same time, AM Best has affirmed the Long-Term Issue Credit Ratings on the debt and the indicative Long-Term IRs on securities available under Swiss Reinsurance Company Ltd.?s debt is...
In co-operation with Ajlan & Bros. DOHA, Qatar---- QNB Group, the largest financial institution in the Middle East and Africa, announced the license approval has been received for a digital-first banking entity, ezbank, from the Saudi Central Bank ?SAMA?, in cooperation with Ajlan & Bros. This press release features multimedia. This milestone, in cooperation with Ajlan & Bros.
Quebec's provincial government released its public accounts for the 2024-25 fiscal year on Friday, with the deficit for FY25 improving from $8.1 billion to $5.2 billion, representing 0.8% of gross domestic product, said Desjardins. The fiscal improvement for FY25, first hinted at in a late June release, is driven by both stronger own-source revenues and lower-than-expected spending.
National Bank of Canada maintained Topaz Energy's Outperform rating and $33.50 price target after the company announced a tuck-in acquisition, which it said was "highly complementary." The $72 million transaction with Tourmaline Oil (TRMLF) continues to expand and compound Topaz's value trajectory, National Bank said.
AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Ratings of A+ and the Long-Term Issuer Credit Ratings of ?aa? of the main rated insurance subsidiaries of Zurich Insurance Group Ltd. At the same time, AM Best has affirmed the Long-Term ICR of ?a+? of Zurich.
-The U.S. Supreme Court said on Wednesday it will hear arguments in January over Donald Trump's attempt to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook, leaving her in the post for now and teeing up a major legal battle over the first-ever bid by a president to fire a Fed official as he challenges the central bank's independence.
AM Best has affirmed the Financial Strength Rating of B++, the Long-Term Issuer Credit Rating of ?bbb?, and the Vietnam National Scale Rating of aaa.VN of BIDV Insurance Joint Stock Corporation. The ratings reflect BIC?s balance sheet strength, which AM Best assesses as strong, as well as its adequate operating performance, neutral business profile and appropriate enterprise risk management.
National Bank of Canada kept DPM Metals' Outperform rating and $38.50 price target unchanged as its Loma Larga feasibility study showed a "buoyant" net present value at spot prices. The feasibility study shows an after-tax NPV above National Bank's carrying value, tempered by higher capital expenditures and a potential environmental license suspension amid opposition from local stakeholders.
The Reserve Bank of Australia held its cash rate at 3.6% this week, as widely expected, said UBS. The press release struck a slightly hawkish tone as it highlighted stronger data on growth and inflation, while RBA Governor Michele Bullock surprisingly kept a dovish tilt in the press conference, wrote the bank in a note to clients.
Sophisticated issuers and investors shared insights into how they navigate the complexities of the municipal bond market at The Bond Buyer Infrastructure event.
* Until Trump, no president had tried to fire a Fed official. * Legal battle tests Fed's longstanding independence. By Andrew Chung. The U.S. Supreme Court announced on Wednesday it will hear arguments over Donald Trump's attempt to remove Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook - the first-ever bid by a president to fire a Fed official in his unprecedented challenge to central bank independence.
The U.S. dollar, under pressure since the start of the year, may struggle to find its footing against most major currencies over the coming 12 months, according to a Reuters poll of FX strategists who said the already crowded short U.S. dollar trade will remain.
In general the bond market is volatile, and fixed income securities carry interest rate risk. (As interest rates rise, bond prices usually fall, and vice versa. This effect is usually more pronounced for longer-term securities.) Fixed income securities also carry inflation risk and credit and default risks for both issuers and counterparties. Unlike individual bonds, most bond funds do not have a maturity date, so avoiding losses caused by price volatility by holding them until maturity is not possible.
Lower-quality debt securities generally offer higher yields, but also involve greater risk of default or price changes due to potential changes in the credit quality of the issuer. Any fixed income security sold or redeemed prior to maturity may be subject to loss.
Before investing, consider the funds' investment objectives, risks, charges, and expenses. Contact Fidelity for a prospectus or, if available, a summary prospectus containing this information. Read it carefully.