Business Cycle Barometer: S&P: Risk Of USA Recession Falls Amid Resilient Growth

[White House Advisor Yared Defends Hassett's Criticism Of Fed Research, Denies Attack On Central Bank Independence] A Senior Economic Advisor To US President Trump Defended The White House's Criticism Of The Federal Reserve's Latest Research On Tariffs, Denying That It Constitutes An Attack On The Central Bank's Independence. "Criticizing A Study By Federal Reserve Researchers Is Not An Attack On The Fed's Independence," Said Pierre Yared, Acting Chairman Of The White House Council Of Economic Advisers. Yared, Who Expressed Cautious Optimism About Continued Economic Growth In 2026, Responded To Recent Research Suggesting That Over 90% Of Tariff Costs Are Passed On To Consumers. "I Think It's An Exaggeration To Consider Comments On A Specific Study As An Attack On The Fed's Independence," He Said

[US Pays $160 Million To UN To Part Of Outstanding Debt] It Was Learned On The 19th Local Time That The United States Recently Paid Approximately $160 Million To The United Nations To Repay Part Of Its Outstanding Regular Budget Payments, But This Is Only A Small Portion Of Its Approximately $2 Billion Debt. UN Secretary-General's Spokesperson Stéphane Dujarric Stated That This Is The First Time The United States Has Made A Payment Related To The UN's Regular Budget Since President Trump Returned To The White House

Iran In Letter To UN Secretary General Guterres: Iran Does Seek Tensions Or War And Will Not Initiate War

[US Equity ETFs Show Mixed Performance, Brent Crude Oil ETF Rises Over 2.2%] On Thursday (February 19), The VIX (Volatility Index) Rose 2.55%, The Brent Crude Oil ETF Rose 2.22%, And The Soybean ETF, Gold ETF, Agricultural Commodity ETF, And Russell 2000 ETF Rose By A Maximum Of 0.56%. The US Dollar Index ETF And The 20+ Year US Treasury ETF Rose By A Maximum Of 0.15%. The Euro ETF, US Real Estate ETF, Japanese Yen ETF, Emerging Markets ETF, And S&P 500 ETF Fell By A Maximum Of 0.26%, The NASDAQ 100 ETF Fell 0.38%, And The Dow Jones ETF Fell 0.53%

[Russia Says It Will Analyze Results Of Russia-US-Ukraine Talks To Determine Details For Next Round Of Consultations] Russian Presidential Press Secretary Dmitry Peskov Stated On The 19th That The Majority Of European Countries' Views On The Ukraine Issue Lean Towards Perpetuating The Conflict Rather Than Promoting A Peaceful Resolution. Peskov Told The Media That Day That European Representatives Did Not Participate In The Trilateral Talks Between Russia, The US, And Ukraine In Geneva, Switzerland. Under The Current Trilateral Framework, Russia Believes That Involving European Parties In The Ukraine Negotiation Process "makes No Sense."

US President Trump Praised Commerce Secretary Lutnick

On Thursday (February 19), In Late New York Trading, Spot Gold Rose 0.42% To $4,998.50 Per Ounce. Comex Gold Futures Rose 0.09% To $5,014 Per Ounce. Spot Silver Rose 1.32% To $78.2375 Per Ounce. Comex Silver Futures Rose 0.82%. Comex Copper Futures Fell 0.67% To $5.8240 Per Pound. Spot Platinum Fell 0.32%, And Spot Palladium Fell 1.45%. The Philadelphia Gold And Silver Index Closed Up 1.51% At 422.69 Points. The NYSE Arca Gold Miners Index Rose 1.26% To 2,982.07 Points. The Materials Index Closed Down 0.09%, And The Metals & Mining Index Closed Down 0.17%

New Zealand Jan Month Trade Balance NZ$-519.00 Million