Flash News

TREE NEWS reports: The ICE US Dollar Index fell 0.19% to 101.908 in late New York trading on Friday, Oct. 2, dropping from around 102.100 to near 101.700 when the US nonfarm payrolls report was released in Beijing time. The index gained 0.93% for the week, with a trading range of 100.980-102.207. The Bloomberg Dollar Index fell 0.24% to 1222.12, up 0.76% on the week within a 1212.99-1226.89 range.

TREE NEWS reports: The Bloomberg Grains Subindex fell 0.48% to 32.9219 points at the New York close on Friday, October 2, capping a weekly decline of 4.01%. CBOT corn futures led losses, dropping 5.87% for the week to $4.9725 a bushel, while wheat fell 2.88% to $6.83 and soybeans dropped 3.17% to $12.7725. The index slid sharply on September 30 after the USDA released its report.

TREE NEWS update: White House Council of Economic Advisers Chairman Ferran said a Federal Reserve rate hike in September lacks justification, arguing US inflation is falling fast enough. The comment signals the White House’s opposition to further tightening at the Fed’s September meeting. No policy decision has been announced by the Fed.

TREE NEWS reports: Federal Reserve official Austan Goolsbee said inflation is moving in the wrong direction and has stalled. The remarks point to continued price pressure as the central bank weighs its next policy steps. Goolsbee did not specify a policy path in the comments.

TREE NEWS reports: The Hang Seng Index main futures contract closed down 0.21% at 23,831 in overnight trading. The Hang Seng Tech Index main futures contract closed 0.36% lower at 4,131.

TREE NEWS update: US Attorney General Blanche said he is satisfied with the Federal Reserve inspector general’s investigative report and will not reopen a criminal investigation into Fed Governor and former Fed Chairman Jerome Powell. The decision closes off a potential criminal inquiry into the sitting central bank official.

TREE NEWS update: Minneapolis Fed President Neel Kashkari said Wednesday he is skeptical of claims that the US economy is contracting outside of the AI infrastructure boom. Speaking at a Council on Foreign Relations event in New York, Kashkari said corporate profits have risen broadly across many industries, not just those tied directly to AI buildout. He added that inflation remains too high.

TREE NEWS update: The U.S. Federal Aviation Administration said a software fault on Boeing’s 737 MAX aircraft does not constitute a safety issue. The agency’s assessment, reported Tuesday, addresses the glitch without grounding the fleet or ordering immediate corrective action. No further details on the nature of the fault or affected aircraft were provided.

TREE NEWS reports: WTI November crude futures settled down $1.76, or more than 1.89%, at $91.11 a barrel. Abu Dhabi Murban crude fell 0.91% to $108.40 a barrel, up 9.44% for the week. NYMEX November natural gas settled at $3.0350 per million British thermal units, with November gasoline at $3.3124 a gallon and heating oil at $4.5011 a gallon.

TREE NEWS update: A US official said the joint US-Ukraine reconstruction investment fund has finalized its first critical minerals project, with four new projects added in energy and other sectors, bringing the fund’s total to six deals worth about $70 million. The first minerals project will invest roughly $30 million in a joint investment platform under Ukraine’s BGV Group, initially backing early-stage Ukrainian mining projects focused on rare earths, uranium, beryllium and zirconium.

TREE NEWS update: Russian presidential press secretary Dmitry Peskov said on the 2nd that Russia is open to dialogue with all countries on ensuring Black Sea security, but has not yet held bilateral talks with any country on the issue. Peskov was responding to a question on whether Russia is considering bilateral agreements on Black Sea security with India, Egypt or Turkey.

TREE NEWS reports: Intercontinental Exchange data show speculative net long positions in Brent crude fell by 13,812 contracts in the week to September 29, leaving 204,302 contracts outstanding. The weekly positioning figure tracks how bullish or bearish speculative traders are on Brent crude futures.

TREE NEWS reports: Investors are favoring derivatives over direct bets as Brazil’s presidential race stays too close to call, with options activity on the largest Brazil equity ETF heating up as markets brace for sharp swings in the real. Gramercy Funds Management’s co-head of sovereign research said the initial market reaction could be sharply divergent depending on the result, adding that fiscal reform momentum would strengthen markedly under Bolsonaro, accompanied by strong market optimism.

TREE NEWS update: Italy’s Finance Minister said it would be appropriate for European Central Bank President Christine Lagarde to clarify her position on whether she will remain in her role. The minister’s remarks, reported on Thursday, add to questions over the ECB leadership’s future. No decision or timeline was given.

TREE NEWS reports: Bolivian President Rodrigo Paz is seeking to attract global mining companies to develop the country’s copper, gold, silver and other critical minerals, but roughly 500,000 local miners stand as the main obstacle. The government plans to send targeted legal reforms to Congress, including allowing private firms to partner with mining cooperatives, strengthening exploration rights and cutting taxes to make Bolivia a safer investment destination.

TREE NEWS update: Italy has set its 2026 debt target at 138.1% of GDP, below the 138.6% level it penciled in in April. The revised figure marks a slightly faster consolidation path than the government previously outlined for next year.

TREE NEWS update: The IMF approved $138 million in financing for El Salvador after the country secured a waiver on its Bitcoin program. The fund still expects no further Bitcoin accumulation beyond documented donations and wants the state’s remaining Chivo exposure fully unwound. The decision clears the way for the disbursement under the country’s IMF-backed program.

TREE NEWS reports: The Federal Reserve’s overnight reverse repurchase agreement (RRP) facility took in $1.501 billion on Friday, October 2, from three counterparties, up from $350 million the prior trading day. The jump marks a rebound in usage of the facility, which has seen demand collapse from its 2022-2023 peak above $2 trillion.

TREE NEWS reports: France’s 10-year government bond yield touched 4.995% on Friday, briefly approaching the 5% mark, before closing down 4.9bps at 4.870%. The yield rose 17.9 basis points over the week, edging closer to its 2002 third-quarter peak of 5.115%. Italian 10-year yields closed at 4.606%, up 9.5bps on the week, while Spanish and Greek 10-year yields also gained.

TREE NEWS reports: Federal Reserve Bank of Chicago President Austan Goolsbee said he does not rule out any decision at the next FOMC monetary policy meeting. The remark leaves the door open on the Fed’s next policy move, with no specific action or rate path indicated.