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1.16410
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Gold
4583.23
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82.077
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159.392
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Real-time News
The number of initial jobless claims in the U.S. fell last week, indicating that the U.S. labor market remains stable despite an unexpected drop in employment in July. The Labor Department said Thursday that seasonally adjusted initial claims fell by 4,000 to 203,000 in the week ending August 22, compared with economists expectations of 208,000. Initial claims are currently at the lower end of the years range of 189,000 to 230,000, suggesting that even with weak hiring activity, layoffs remain low. The U.S. unemployment rate fell slightly again last month to 4.1%, a historically low level. If the labor market continues to remain stable, the Federal Reserve may be able to continue focusing on controlling inflation. U.S. inflation has been above the Feds 2% target for 65 consecutive months. Data showed that continuing jobless claims fell by 18,000 to 1.778 million, an indicator that can be used as a reference for hiring.The U.S. goods trade deficit widened to its highest level since early last year in July, with imports surging, primarily driven by increased shipments of capital equipment. Data released by the Commerce Department on Thursday showed that the goods trade deficit widened by 17.2% in July from the previous month to $118.8 billion, the highest level since March 2025, compared to economists median forecast of $100.5 billion. The figures are unadjusted for inflation. Imports rose 3.7% in July, while goods exports fell 2.9%. The U.S. trade deficit has fluctuated in recent months. On the one hand, the war with Iran has boosted global demand for U.S. petroleum products; on the other hand, U.S. companies are stockpiling goods and raw materials to mitigate the impact of supply chain disruptions. Meanwhile, companies are adapting to changing tariff rates, and imports of artificial intelligence-related equipment remain strong.International oil prices rebounded somewhat and fluctuated near their intraday highs. A chart provides a quick overview of the pre-market conversion of domestic and international crude oil prices.Federal Reserves Goolsby: The biggest short-term concern right now is that inflation is out of control.Federal Reserves Goolsby: The current job market with low hiring and low layoffs is unusual.
