Articles by: Brian McColl

Silver Climbs Back Above $77 as Traders Brace for U.S. Jobs Data

Key Moments XAG/USD trades near $77.20 per troy ounce in Asian dealings after two consecutive sessions of declines. Read more

XRP ETFs See First Capital Pullback as Crypto Fund Flows Diverge

Key Moments U.S. spot XRP ETFs registered their first daily net outflow of about $40.8 million on Wednesday after accumulating $1.2 billion in net inflows since launch. Spot Bitcoin and Ether ETFs also saw significant redemptions on Wednesday, with $486 million and $98 million in net outflows, respectively. Despite the setback, XRP ETFs still hold […] Read more

Chevron Seeks Broader U.S. Approval to Boost Venezuelan Crude Exports

Key Moments Chevron is negotiating with the U.S. government to expand its Venezuela license, aiming to increase crude exports to its refineries and other buyers. U.S. restrictions cut Chevron’s Venezuelan exports from 250,000 bpd earlier in the year to about 100,000 bpd in December and blocked PDVSA from receiving proceeds. Washington is urging other U.S. […] Read more

Rand Strength Pressures Dollar as USD/ZAR Slide Deepens

Key Moments USD/ZAR trades within a clear descending channel, staying below the 15-day and 20-day moving averages. The pair tests the 16.45–16.50 support area. A break lower could open the way to 16.20 and 16.00. Strong South African carry, steady risk appetite, and a lack of fresh U.S. dollar catalysts continue to support rand strength. […] Read more

AUD/JPY Pulls Back From Highs as Yen Firms on BoJ Policy Outlook

Key Moments AUD/JPY attracts selling interest around 105.00 in early European trade on Thursday. Bank of Japan leaves regional economic assessments unchanged, reinforcing expectations of continued policy normalization. AUD/JPY remains above key moving averages and Bollinger Band midline, with initial support highlighted near 102.65. Cross Pair Moves Lower as Yen Strengthens The AUD/JPY cross faces […] Read more

AI and Defense Spending Set Stage for Sharp Jump in Copper Use by 2040

Key Moments S&P Global expects global copper demand to reach 42 million metric tons per year by 2040, up from 28 million in 2025. However, the consultancy warns that more than 10 million metric tons of annual demand could go unmet without more mining and recycling. In addition, artificial intelligence, defense, and robotics are set […] Read more

Key Crypto Memecoins Struggle as Sellers Dominate Technical Levels

Key Moments Pump.fun (PUMP), Story (IP), and Pudgy Penguins (PENGU) have all come under notable selling pressure over the last 24 hours. PUMP and IP were rejected at their 50-day EMAs, while PENGU is currently hovering around this key moving average. Technical setups across all three tokens remain bearish, with weakening RSI and MACD signals […] Read more

Kiwi Edges Higher as Traders Weigh Soft US Jobs Data and China Trade Outlook

Key Moments NZD/USD trades near 0.5790, up 0.10%, as the pair reacts modestly to weaker US ADP private employment figures. Investors closely monitor China’s December Trade Balance, a key gauge for New Zealand’s export-driven economy. US ISM Services PMI and JOLTS Job Openings data are in focus for clues on the Federal Reserve’s policy outlook. […] Read more

Gold Market Braces for Potential Pressure From Upcoming Index Rebalancing

Key Moments BCOM’s January rebalancing will cut gold’s target weight to 14.9% from 20.4%, near the index cap. Deutsche Bank estimates the shift could trigger sales of about 2.4 million troy ounces of gold. Gold and silver are expected to see some of the largest supply increases from rebalancing flows. Index Rebalancing May Pressure Gold […] Read more

Rupee Rallies on Suspected RBI Support as Structural Headwinds Linger

Key Moments The Indian Rupee strengthened on suspected RBI intervention, although broader bearish pressures persist. Markets continue to price around 62 basis points of Fed easing by year-end after soft NFP and CPI data. Renewed tariff threats toward India and key U.S. labor data are likely to drive USDINR volatility. Fundamental Overview US Dollar: Trading […] Read more