Palladium prices declined during Tuesday’s trading despite the dollar weakening against most major currencies, as concerns over demand continued to weigh on the market.

This comes amid the continued release of weak economic data from China earlier this month. August figures showed that industrial production, retail sales, and fixed asset investment all grew below expectations. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate unexpectedly rose to 5.3%.

These data followed weak inflation figures from China, which confirmed the persistence of disinflationary pressures in the world’s second-largest economy, raising concerns over Chinese demand.

Separately, the ongoing Russia-Ukraine war continues to cast a shadow over various markets, especially metals, as Moscow remains one of the world’s largest palladium producers.

US President Donald Trump admitted today that ending the Russia-Ukraine war is difficult under current conditions, adding that he was disappointed with President Vladimir Putin.

On the other hand, the US dollar index fell by 0.2% to 97.7 points as of 15:40 GMT, after recording a high of 98.05 points and a low of 97.6 points.

In terms of trading, palladium futures for December delivery fell by 0.6% to $1,283.5 an ounce as of 15:41 GMT.

Bitcoin extended gains on Tuesday, breaking above $114,000, supported by favorable seasonal trends and signs of renewed buying from large holders, which lifted sentiment after a wave of recent outflows.

The world’s biggest cryptocurrency rose 2.1% to $114,007.8 by 02:12 a.m. Eastern Time (06:12 GMT), after touching $114,776 in the past 24 hours.

Bitcoin rebounds on “October rally” optimism and whale buying

Bitcoin had fallen below $109,000 last week amid a wave of forced liquidations and selling pressure, exacerbated by the massive expiration of options contracts at the end of Q3 on September 30.

Reports indicated that the so-called “October rally” – a historical seasonal pattern of strong Bitcoin performance during October – also boosted optimism heading into the new month. Historically, Bitcoin has averaged gains of more than 20% in October.

On-chain data further showed signs of renewed accumulation by so-called “whales” (large holders), providing additional support to crypto markets.

Still, overall sentiment remained cautious as investors awaited political developments in Washington. US lawmakers must reach a funding deal by midnight Tuesday to avoid a government shutdown.

The deadlock has raised concerns that key economic releases, including Friday’s nonfarm payrolls report, could be delayed, adding further uncertainty to financial markets.

Vanguard weighs crypto ETFs – Bloomberg

Bloomberg reported Monday that Vanguard Group is considering allowing exchange-traded funds (ETFs) tied to cryptocurrencies on its platform, a move that would soften its historically strict stance on digital assets.

If approved, the shift would give Vanguard’s more than 50 million investors – managing around $11 trillion in assets – access to Bitcoin and Ethereum ETFs run by other firms.

Vanguard said it continues to assess investor preferences and regulatory developments, stressing that no final decision has yet been made, according to Bloomberg.

Oil prices fell on Tuesday ahead of an expected OPEC+ output increase and with Iraqi Kurdistan resuming crude exports via Turkey, fueling market expectations of oversupply.

Brent crude futures for November delivery, expiring Tuesday, dropped 53 cents, or 0.8%, to $67.44 a barrel by 10:26 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 62 cents, or 1%, to $62.83.

This extends Monday’s slide, when both Brent and WTI sank more than 3%—their steepest one-day fall since August 1.

Tamas Varga of PVM said selling pressure intensified after OPEC+ sources hinted at another production hike, following the bearish impact of Kurdish crude exports resuming via Turkey.

OPEC and allies including Russia meet Sunday, with three sources saying a supply boost of at least 137,000 barrels per day for November is likely.

Ed Moya of Marex added: “Although OPEC+ is still underproducing its quota, the market doesn’t seem eager to absorb more oil.”

Iraq’s oil ministry confirmed flows restarted Saturday through a pipeline from the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region to Turkey—ending a 2.5-year freeze—under a provisional deal. Shipments are expected to gradually reach up to 230,000 barrels a day.

Markets have stayed cautious in recent weeks, balancing supply risks from Ukrainian drone strikes on Russian refineries against the prospect of rising output and weak demand.

Separately, US President Donald Trump won support from Israeli Prime Minister Benjamin Netanyahu for a US peace plan in Gaza, though Hamas’s stance remains unclear.

Varga noted that restoring normal shipping through the Suez Canal after a Gaza peace deal would strip out much of the geopolitical risk premium.

ANZ analysts also said in a Tuesday note that the threat of a US government shutdown has added to demand concerns, reinforcing selling pressure.

The US dollar steadied on Tuesday ahead of a potential government shutdown that could disrupt the release of this week’s monthly jobs report, while the Australian dollar strengthened after the central bank adopted a cautious stance on inflation.

Investors are focused on the looming shutdown, with federal funding set to expire at midnight Tuesday (04:00 GMT) unless Republicans and Democrats reach a last-minute spending deal.

The US Labor and Commerce Departments said their statistical agencies would halt the release of economic data in the event of a partial shutdown, including September’s closely watched jobs report. The jobs report is a key input for Federal Reserve policymakers, and any delay could leave the central bank “flying blind” on labor market conditions.

Currently, traders are pricing in 42 basis points of rate cuts by December and a total of 104 basis points by the end of 2026, about 25 basis points fewer than mid-September levels.

Elias Haddad, senior markets strategist at Brown Brothers Harriman, noted: “If the shutdown is short, the Fed will largely ignore it. But a prolonged closure (more than two weeks) adds downside risks to growth and raises the odds of looser monetary policy.”

Lee Hardman, currency strategist at MUFG, said the dollar is under pressure due to rising political uncertainty in the US. The dollar index, already down about 10% year-to-date, slipped 0.1% on the day to 97.785.

Losses were most pronounced against traditional safe-haven, low-yield currencies like the yen and Swiss franc.

The yen rebounded from overnight weakness, pushing the dollar down 0.4% to 148.02 yen. Investors digested the Bank of Japan’s September meeting summary, which showed discussion of a near-term rate hike. Markets now assign a 60% probability of a December move. Analysts at ING suggested shorting USD/JPY could become a popular trade if a US shutdown materializes, noting the pair lost 1.5% during the 2018–2019 closure.

The Swiss franc also firmed, sending the dollar 0.2% lower to 0.796 franc, while the greenback held steady against the euro at 0.9347 and against the pound.

The Australian dollar rose 0.4% to $0.6604 after the Reserve Bank of Australia left interest rates unchanged, as expected, following three cuts this year. The RBA said recent data suggest Q3 inflation may exceed forecasts, while the economic outlook remains uncertain.

In Europe, the pound shrugged off data showing UK GDP grew 0.3% between April and June, while the current account deficit widened sharply to £28.939 billion ($38.8 billion), equal to 3.8% of GDP versus 2.8% in Q1. Sterling last traded up 0.1% at $1.3448, while slipping slightly against the euro, which rose 0.1% to 87.34 pence. The euro also gained against the dollar to $1.1742.