OPEC on Tuesday raised its forecast for global oil demand next year and trimmed its forecast for growth in supply from the United States and other producers outside the wider OPEC+ group, pointing to a tighter market outlook. World oil demand will rise by 1.38 million barrels per day in 2026, the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries said in a monthly report, up 100,000 bpd from the previous forecast. This year's expectation was left unchanged. Oil supply from countries outside the Declaration of Cooperation - the formal name for OPEC+ - will rise by about 630,000 barrels per...
Japanese stocks rose to end six days of declines as automakers and semiconductor-related names gained on a weaker yen. Banks also pushed the market higher as traders weighed the prospect of higher interest rates. The Topix index was up 0.9% at 2,726.74 by the close. The Nikkei gained 1.2% to 39,161.34. Toyota Motor contributed the most to the Topix's gains, rising 2.4%, while peer Honda Motor also advanced. Honda and Nissan Motor are looking to complete a merger agreement as early as June after negotiations began on Monday, and could merge by 2026, Japanese media reported, citing unnamed...
Shares in Hong Kong rose by 62 points or 0.3% to 19,783 during the Monday morning session, breaking a two-session losing streak amid strength mainly from the financials and property sectors. A solid rise in US futures uplifted sentiment after Washington avoided a year-end shutdown on Saturday and kicked off future spending decisions into Donald Trump's presidency. Locally, the city's annual inflation remained at 1.4% in November, unchanged for the second consecutive month and at its lowest level since May. The government indicated that overall inflation is expected to remain mild in the...
The Nikkei 225 rose 281 points, or 0.7%, to 38,976 in early trade on Monday, bouncing back from the previous session's losses amid a significant rise in U.S. futures as weaker U.S. inflation data revived hopes for potential policy easing next year. The broader Topix index rose 15 points, or about 0.6%, reversing losses in the previous session, buoyed by relief that Washington managed to avoid a government shutdown. At home, the Bank of Japan last week kept its key short-term interest rate at around 0.25%, in line with market expectations, as the central bank needed more time to assess...
Asian stocks rose after the Federal Reserve's preferred inflation gauge came in below expectations, rekindling bets of a rate cut. The dollar was steady. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index snapped a six-day slide, with indexes in Australia, Japan and South Korea up about 0.5%. Futures in Hong Kong pointed to gains. U.S. equity contracts rose after the S&P 500 Index rose 1.1% on Friday, as personal consumption spending rose at its slowest pace since May. Monday's gains will provide some relief to global markets after stocks suffered their worst weekly decline in more than three months as a...
The Hang Seng Index fell for a second day, down 0.2%, or 31.81, to 19,720.70 in Hong Kong. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. contributed the most to the index's decline, dropping 3.4%. Kuaishou Technology was the biggest decliner, down 5.4%. For the day, 48 of 83 stocks fell, while 29 rose; three of four sectors fell, led by financials. Source: Bloomberg
U.S. President Donald Trump announced Monday evening on Truth Social that Israel and Iran have agreed to a "Complete and Total CEASEFIRE" following what he referred to as "THE 12 DAY...
Gold moved above $2600 on Monday during the Asian trading session. Currently, Gold is still struggling to capitalize on last week's modest recovery from a one-month low and is fluctuating.
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