China's NBS Manufacturing PMI contracts further to 49.4 in November vs. 49.7 expected

Dhwani Mehta FXStreet

China’s official Manufacturing Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) contraction deepened in November, coming in at 49.4 as against the 49.5 contraction registered in October, the latest data published by the country’s National Bureau of Statistics (NBS) showed on Thursday. Markets expected a 49.7 readout in the reported month.

The index dropped further below the 50 mark, which separates expansion from contraction.

The NBS Non-Manufacturing PMI dropped to 50.2 in November versus the expected 51.1 figure and October’s 50.6 figure.

AUD/USD reaction to China's PMI data

The downbeat Chinese PMIs is serving a negative impact on the Australian Dollar, with AUD/USD holding lower ground near 0.6620. The spot is up 0.05% on the day.

Author

Dhwani Mehta

FXStreet

Residing in Mumbai (India), Dhwani is a Senior Analyst and Manager of the Asian session at FXStreet. She has over 10 years of experience in analyzing and covering the global financial markets, with specialization in Forex and commodities markets.

GBP/USD declines to near 1.3500 as US-Iran tensions rise

The GBP/USD pair declines to near 1.3500 during the early European trading hours on Wednesday. Ongoing tensions in the Middle East provide some support to a safe-haven currency such as the US Dollar against the British Pound. All eyes will be on the US August jobs report later on Friday.

EUR/USD falls to two-week low below 1.1600 on broad USD strength

EUR/USD remains under bearish pressure after closing in negative territory on Tuesday and trades at its lowest level in two weeks below 1.1600 on Wednesday. As tensions in the Middle East escalate further, the US Dollar gathers strength on risk-aversion and hawkish Fed repricing, forcing the pair to stay on the back foot. Later in the day, private sector employment data from the US will be watched closely by market participants.

Gold recovers above $4,300; upside seems capped as Fed bets support USD

Gold recovers early lost ground to a four-week low, and trades above $4,320 heading into the European session. A modest US Dollar pullback is seen as a key factor supporting the commodity, though any meaningful upside seems elusive amid hawkish US Federal Reserve expectations. The escalating Middle East conflict lifted crude oil prices to a fresh high since July 24, stoking inflation fears and reaffirming bets for a Fed rate hike in September.

WTI advances to mid-$90.00s, fresh high since July 24 amid escalating US-Iran tensions

West Texas Intermediate (WTI) – the benchmark US Crude Oil price – scales higher for the third straight day – also marking the fifth day of a positive move in the previous six – and climbs to a fresh high since July 24 during the Asian session on Wednesday.

ADP Employment Report is expected to show a moderate increase in private payrolls in August

The Automatic Data Processing Research Institute will release its monthly report on private-sector job creation for August next Wednesday. The ADP Employment Change report is expected to show that the United States private sector added 47K new positions this month, little changed from the 44K new jobs reported in July.

Diesel’s record $100 warning: The oil shock hiding in plain sight

The Oil market may look calmer than it did a few months ago, but diesel is sending a very different message. The US diesel crack spread, the premium of ultra-low sulphur diesel futures over WTI, recently surged above $100 per barrel for the first time, reaching an intraday record of just over $102.00.