International News

Gold near fresh all-time highs ahead of US trading session

Published

2 years ago

February 25, 2025

Gold’s price (XAU/USD) is seeing gains tick up trading near $2,952 at the time of writing, fueled by a weaker US Dollar (USD) and softening US yields in a reaction to the recent German federal election outcome. Although the far-right party Alternative for Germany (AfD) has gained 20% of votes, the Christian Democratic Union of Germany (CDU) is comfortable in the lead with 208 seats against AfD’s 152. US yields dropped off and the CME Federal Reserve (Fed) Futures are now favoring a 25 basis points (bps) rate cut in June, where last week odds were rather for no rate cut in June.

Meanwhile, traders will watch the US Gross Domestic Product (GBP) release for the fourth quarter of 2024 later this week. Given the recent slowdown in US activity and economic data (for example, the softer Services Purchase Managers Index (PMI) reading on Friday), another drop in US yields could be triggered, with markets anticipating the Federal Reserve lowering its monetary policy rate to boost the economy and demand. The US dollar weakened after several reports and economic data points last week revealed that US business activity slowed and consumer confidence waned, with expectations for inflation surging and markets pricing in more rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year.

Related Topics:2025 GBP Gold internationalnews PMI

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International News

US Jewellery Companies Continued To Shrink In The Third Quarter:JBT

During Q3, Business Closures Dropped To 116 Compared To 126 In The Prior Year’s Third Quarter, Driven By 88 General Operational Cessations, 28 Acquisitions Or Mergers, and Zero Bankruptcies.

Published

12 hours ago

October 31, 2026

JewelBuzz Spread The Buzz

The number of active US jewelry companies continued to shrink in the third quarter, but at a slower pace than a year ago, according to the latest data from the Jewelers Board of Trade (JBT).The US jewelry industry continued its structural consolidation through Q3, though the pace of business closures showed signs of stabilizing compared to the previous year. Data from the Jewelers Board of Trade (JBT) reflects ongoing consolidation across retail, wholesale, and manufacturing, coupled with heightened credit volatility.

Key Data & Metrics

Nationwide, the active business footprint stands at 21,831 companies, reflecting a 1.4% year-over-year decline. During Q3, business closures dropped to 116 compared to 126 in the prior year’s third quarter, driven by 88 general operational cessations, 28 acquisitions or mergers, and zero bankruptcies. Meanwhile, new market entrants also slowed, with 67 new business openings recorded in Q3 down from 89 during the same period last year.

Sector-by-Sector Breakdown

Sector	Active Count	YoY Change	Impact Summary
Retailers	16,564	-1.5%	Makes up the majority of the sector; experienced the largest net store count reduction.
Manufacturers	2,061	-1.7%	Steepest percentage decline among all segments.
Wholesalers	3,206	-0.9%	Relatively stable, holding the mildest contraction rate.

Credit & Financial Health Trends

The JBT report highlights dynamic shifts in creditworthiness across US and Canadian businesses, signaling bifurcated financial health:

Credit Downgrades: Jumped sharply to 1,655 (up from 620 in Q3 of the prior year).
Credit Upgrades: Rose significantly to 1,480 (up from 551 in Q3 of the prior year).

While net business closures are tapering off, high numbers of simultaneous upgrades and downgrades point to a split market where resilient operators are strengthening their positions while vulnerable businesses face tighter financial pressures.