2025-07-31 11:16
LONDRA, 31 luglio (Reuters) - ** Il dollaro si avvia a realizzare il primo guadagno su base mensile di quest'anno, grazie alla fiducia degli investitori nella tenuta dell'economia a stelle e strisce e ai segnali di attenuazione delle tensioni commerciali, mentre l'andamento dello yen è incerto dopo i segnali giunti dalla Banca del Giappone. ** Al termine della due giorni di politica monetaria, la BoJ ha mantenuto i tassi di interesse a breve termine fermi allo 0,5% con un voto unanime, ma ha aggiornato le previsioni di inflazione per il triennio al 2027 e ha affermato che i rischi per le prospettive dei prezzi sono " grosso modo bilanciati". Sign up here. ** Lo yen è stato inizialmente protagonista di un rally, con i trader che prezzavano una maggiore possibilità di un rialzo dei tassi quest'anno, ma poi ha invertito la tendenza: intorno alle 12,00 il dollaro sale dello 0,29% nel cross con la divisa giapponese a 149,94 . ** L'indice del dollaro , che misura l'andamento del biglietto verde rispetto a un paniere di sei valute, è a 99,84, in rialzo dello 0,03%. ** L'euro è una delle principali vittime dell'ascesa del dollaro questo mese. Al momento scambia a 1,1435 in calo dello 0,25% circa . https://www.reuters.com/world/africa/dollaro-verso-primo-rialzo-mensile-del-2025-yen-incerto-dopo-boj-2025-07-31/
2025-07-31 11:15
July 31 (Reuters) - Futures tied to Canada's main stock index edged higher on Thursday, helped by upbeat earnings from tech giants Meta and Microsoft, while investors were cautious about a potential trade deal ahead of President Donald Trump's August 1 tariff deadline. Futures on the S&P/TSX index were up 0.07% at 1,628.80 points by 06:38 a.m. ET (1038 GMT). The benchmark index posted its biggest decline in ten weeks on Wednesday. Sign up here. Shares of AI heavyweights Meta Platforms (META.O) , opens new tab and Microsoft (MSFT.O) , opens new tab surged in U.S. premarket hours after the companies reported blowout quarterly results on Wednesday, boosting investor confidence in tech and AI investments. Meanwhile, Trump intensified his trade war with Canada a day ahead of his tariff deadline, saying it would be "very hard" to make a deal with Canada after it gave its support to Palestinian statehood. If no agreement is reached by the deadline, Trump is set to impose a 35% tariff on all Canadian goods not covered by the U.S.-Mexico-Canada trade agreement. In commodities, oil prices edged lower and U.S. copper prices plunged to their biggest one-day decline on record on Thursday, while gold prices rose more than 1%. In corporate news, Canadian oil and gas producer Cenovus Energy (CVE.TO) , opens new tab posted a fall in second-quarter profit. FOR CANADIAN MARKETS NEWS, CLICK ON CODES: TSX market report Canadian dollar and bonds report CA/ Reuters global stocks poll for Canada , Canadian markets directory https://www.reuters.com/markets/europe/tsx-futures-rise-meta-microsoft-results-lift-sentiment-trade-deadline-looms-2025-07-31/
2025-07-31 11:09
July 31 (Reuters) - U.S. utility Xcel Energy (XEL.O) , opens new tab on Thursday reported a 47% rise in second-quarter profit, helped by higher revenue through rate hikes, even as rising interest, depreciation and operations costs partially offset the gains. Xcel was able to bring in more revenue through regulator-approved rate hikes in the quarter, helping it cover the costs of upgrading the grid, building new power sources and funding other major projects. Sign up here. Utilities have been adding billions of dollars to their capital expenditure budgets as they field massive requests for new power capacity from new data centers needed for artificial intelligence technologies. CEO Bob Frenzel said Xcel made "considerable progress" during the quarter on investments to strengthen system reliability and serve "unprecedented growth in electric demand." "In Texas and New Mexico, we filed our recommended portfolio for nearly 5,200 MW of new generation, of which 4,500 MW will be company owned," Frenzel said. For the reported quarter, Xcel's total operating expenses rose around 5% from a year ago to $2.71 billion, while total interest charges and financing costs jumped 6.3% from a year ago to $322 million. Xcel reported a quarterly profit of $444 million, or 75 cents per share, for the three months ending June 30, higher than $302 million, or 54 cents per share, it reported last year. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/xcel-energys-quarterly-profit-boosted-by-rate-hikes-rising-power-demand-2025-07-31/
2025-07-31 11:04
July 31 (Reuters) - Refiner HF Sinclair (DINO.N) , opens new tab beat Wall Street estimates for second-quarter profit on Thursday as higher refining margins helped offset lower throughput volumes, sending its shares about 1% higher to $43.80 in premarket trading. Top U.S. refiners were expected to post higher second-quarter profits, rebounding from first-quarter losses as stronger-than-expected diesel margins lifted earnings. The improved margins helped peers such as Valero Energy (VLO.N) , opens new tab and Phillips 66 (PSX.N) , opens new tab surpass Wall Street estimates. Sign up here. Fuel makers have seen an unexpected boost in profits from key products in recent months, offering relief after earnings retreated from 2022 highs driven by a post-pandemic demand rebound and supply disruptions following Russia's invasion of Ukraine. The company's adjusted refinery gross margin per barrel was $16.50 in the quarter, up about 46% from a year earlier. Its adjusted margin in the mid-continent region jumped about 85%, to $15.52 per barrel. The higher quarterly margins helped offset throughput volumes, which were down 2.4% at 660,640 barrels per day from a year earlier, while refinery utilization was down at 90.8% from 93.6% in the same period. The lower volumes were due to turnaround activities at its Tulsa and Parco refineries in the reported quarter, the company said in a statement. HF Sinclair reported adjusted profit of $1.70 per share for the three months ended June 30, compared with analysts' average estimate of $1.02 per share, according to data compiled by LSEG. https://www.reuters.com/sustainability/sustainable-finance-reporting/hf-sinclair-beats-second-quarter-profit-estimates-higher-refining-margins-2025-07-31/
2025-07-31 11:04
LONDON, July 31 (Reuters) - The pound headed towards its largest monthly loss against the dollar since September 2022 on Thursday, reflecting growing confidence among investors in the outlook for the U.S. economy and increasing pessimism over the British one. Sterling was down 0.15% on the day at $1.322 and weakened against the euro, which rose 0.4% to 86.46 pence. Sign up here. In July, the pound has fallen by 3.7%, the most since losing 3.9% and hitting a record low in September 2022, during then-Prime Minister Liz Truss's budget-induced market crisis. The pound is still up nearly 6% against the dollar this year, but that's softened dramatically from a year-to-date gain of almost 10% at the start of the month. Following Wednesday's two-day policy meeting, the Federal Reserve left U.S. interest rates unchanged, as expected, and Chair Jerome Powell gave no indication of when they might fall again. In the meantime, U.S. data has painted a far rosier picture of the world's largest economy than UK data has of the British economy. U.S. data releases this week including second-quarter economic activity and some measures of employment have added to that. The Citi U.S. economic surprise index has overtaken its UK counterpart this week for the first time since April. With the Bank of England expected to almost certainly deliver two more rate cuts this year, according to money markets, and a far lower chance of two more cuts from the Fed, investors are ditching the pound. Weekly data from the U.S. Commodity Futures Trading Commission shows speculators are neutral on the pound, having whittled back the bullish positioning that had prevailed continuously since February. "Although not in receipt of any tier-one data releases this week, sterling has still had a bumpy ride," analysts at Monex said in a note. "Slowing U.S. growth and UK fiscal concerns both point to sterling underperformance moving forward. As such, we see little room for sterling to rally sustainably from current levels sub-$1.33," they said. https://www.reuters.com/world/us/pound-heads-worst-month-since-2022-budget-crisis-2025-07-31/
2025-07-31 11:02
Brent projected to average $67.84 per barrel in 2025 WTI to average $64.61 per barrel in 2025 For table of crude price forecasts, click July 31 (Reuters) - Analysts are keeping their oil price forecasts mostly unchanged for 2025, as a rise in OPEC+ output and ongoing U.S. tariff uncertainty weigh on the market, a Reuters poll showed on Thursday. The continued risk of supply disruption from war in Ukraine and the Middle East is providing some support, the analysts said. Sign up here. A poll of 37 analysts and economists surveyed by Reuters in the last two weeks forecast that Brent crude would average $67.84 per barrel in 2025, and that U.S. crude would hover at $64.61, largely in line with last month's estimates of $67.86 and $64.51. Prices are expected to drift down next year, with Brent at $62.98 in the second quarter of 2026, the poll found. Prices have averaged roughly $70.60 and $67.46 so far this year for Brent and WTI respectively, according to LSEG data. Investors' attention is focused on ongoing U.S. trade negotiations and an August 1 tariff deadline. The market anticipates new tariffs from the administration of U.S. President Donald Trump could dampen global growth and in turn, oil demand. "Uncertainty surrounding President Trump's tariff plans affect markets and the demand side. The other side of the coin is the rising supply given by OPEC+ alliance. So the mismatch between supply and demand remains," said Thomas Wybierek, analyst at NORD/LB. Eight members of OPEC+, which groups the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies, including Russia, began to raise output in April, most recently agreeing to raise production by 548,000 barrels per day in August. The eight countries will hold a separate meeting on August 3 and are likely to agree to a further 548,000 bpd increase for September, sources told Reuters. The analysts polled by Reuters expect global oil demand to grow by an average of over 797,000 bpd in 2025, compared to the International Energy Agency's estimation of 700,000 bpd. However, most analysts noted that oil demand could weaken in the fourth quarter of 2025 due to a seasonal slowdown and economic uncertainty, at the same time as OPEC+ is expected to pump more into the market, potentially leading to oversupply. "We expect prices to see a decrease in the second half of 2025, driven by both slower demand growth and rising supply," said Moutaz Altaghlibi, senior energy economist at ABN AMRO. Poll participants also highlighted that the geopolitical risk premium linked to the Russia-Ukraine war and Middle East tensions is likely to persist through 2025. "Geopolitical factors will continue to support oil prices on the margin, helping to keep Brent in the upper $60s rather than the low $60s as we head into 2026," said Cyrus De La Rubia, chief economist at Hamburg Commercial Bank. https://www.reuters.com/business/energy/tariff-uncertainty-rising-opec-supply-weigh-oil-prices-2025-07-31/
