Equities down and oil, gold up on Russia-Ukraine tensions [Video]

Ipek Ozkardeskaya ipekScope

The week starts on quite a tense note as the tensions between Ukraine and Russia don’t seem to be headed in the right direction with reports on Friday hinting at the possibility of a Russian invasion before ‘the end of the Beijing Olympics’.

European equities are deep in the red, with FTSE 100 somehow doing less bad than the others on rising energy and commodity prices, but the Euro Stoxx is already down 2.33% and the DAX by 2.85%.

US crudes flirts with the $95 per barrel, and gold welcomes decent safe-haven capital. While US sovereigns, energy and gold are the favorite destinations for those who are seeking protection in the actual environment, any relief on the Ukrainian front could send the recent gains in oil and gold crumbling.

On the economic agenda: US PPI and FOMC minutes will be closely watched. We know that engineering a policy that would bring inflation down to the 2% target in the US would also bring unnecessary stress on the market and on the economy. Would that help cooling the Fed hawks?

Author

Ipek Ozkardeskaya

ipekScope

Ipek Ozkardeskaya began her financial career in 2010 in the structured products desk of the Swiss Banque Cantonale Vaudoise. She worked in HSBC Private Bank in Geneva in relation to high and ultra-high-net-worth clients.

GBP/USD holds range below mid-1.3600s amid Fed risks and Iran tensions

The GBP/USD pair extends its sideways consolidative price move for the second straight day, and trades around the 1.3630 area during the Asian session. The US Dollar is looking to build on its modest recovery from the lowest level since May 14, and is acting as a headwind for the currency pair. The lack of follow-through selling warrants some caution for bearish traders.

EUR/USD gains support amid hawkish ECB expectations, subdued US Dollar

EUR/USD inches higher after posting minor losses in the previous day, trading around 1.1670 during the Asian hours. The pair finds support as rising oil prices, elevated bond yields, and escalating Middle East tensions drive Eurozone inflation concerns. These factors have boosted expectations for a more hawkish stance from the European Central Bank, which is widely anticipated to deliver a 25-basis-point rate hike in September.

$4700 tested as Gold pulls back but bullish potential remains intact

Gold has pulled back sharply from fresh 15-week highs of $4,697, snapping a two-day uptrend in Asia on Tuesday. The US Dollar (USD) holds onto recovery gains, capping further upside in the bullion.

Bitcoin tops $80,000 as US Treasury fights high yields – AERO, VIRTUAL rally

Bitcoin extends gains above $80,000 as broader market risk-on sentiment persists. The scarce asset could extend its rally as the US Treasury combats high yields in the long-dated bond market, with further interventions on the horizon. Aerodrome Finance (AERO) and Virtuals Protocol (VIRTUAL) emerged as top performers over the last 24 hours.

Will Jackson Hole ignite Gold and Silver’s next explosive breakout?

The 2026 Jackson Hole Economic Policy Symposium arrives at a pivotal moment. The U.S economy faces record debt, elevated borrowing costs, a weaker dollar and renewed momentum across hard assets. For The Gold & Silver Club, the backdrop increasingly validates its early-year call: “2026 will be the Year of Hard Assets.”

$20 billion offered, $2 billion taken: Why Treasury doubled its buyback cap

The US Treasury moved off its own calendar on Wednesday, and that is the part worth sitting with. At 12:32 GMT, the department said it would at least double the size of liquidity support buyback operations in the 10-year to 20-year and 20-year to 30-year sectors, lifting the maximum from $2 billion per operation to at least $4 billion, effective September 9 and running to November 4.