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...
The European stock markets closed lower in Thursday trading as the FTSE 100 in London slid 0.05%, Germany's DAX dropped 0.73%, France's CAC 40 fell 1.14%, The Stoxx Europe 600 slipped 0.71%, and the Swiss Market Index lost 0.8%. The seasonally-adjusted unemployment rate in the eurozone stood at 6.2% in June, unchanged from a revised figure in May, according to Eurostat data. In Germany, import prices dropped 1.4% year-over-year in June after a 1.1% fall in May, according to the country's Federal Statistical Office. German import prices were unchanged on a monthly basis. In corporate news,...
The Hang Seng Index plunged 404 points, or 1.6%, to close at 24,773 on Thursday (July 31), marking its third consecutive decline and its lowest close in two weeks. Sentiment worsened after China's official PMI showed services activity grew at its slowest pace in eight months and factory output fell the most in six months, amid rising trade barriers and extreme weather. Meanwhile, US President Trump's "reciprocal" tariff suspension is set to expire on Friday, with only eight trade deals reached in the past 120 days. On the monetary front, Fed Chairman Powell dismissed expectations of a...
Both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 rose 0.3% on Thursday (July 31st), as corporate earnings remained in focus. Shell shares rose 2.9% after reporting a profit decline that still beat expectations, while Unilever rose 0.2% on stronger-than-expected sales. Upbeat earnings from Microsoft and MetaTrader also supported sentiment, lifting SAP (+1.8%) and ASML Holding (+1.4%). Meanwhile, Sanofi shares fell 2.2% after its earnings missed, and AB InBev shares plunged nearly 10% after the world's largest brewer reported declining volumes, particularly in Brazil and China. Credit Agricole fell 1.7% as...
The Nikkei 225 Index rose 1.02% to close at 41,070, while the broader Topix Index gained 0.81% to 2,944 on Thursday, recovering losses from earlier in the week after the Bank of Japan left interest rates unchanged in a unanimous decision, as widely expected. This marks the fourth consecutive meeting the BOJ has paused following its 25 basis-point hike to 0.5% in January. Japanese stocks also took cues from stronger US futures, supported by upbeat earnings from tech giants Meta Platforms and Microsoft. Meanwhile, investors continued to watch trade developments after the US finalized a...
(Hong Kong) On the final trading day of July, the Hang Seng Index opened 194 points, or 0.77%, lower at 24,982. The China Enterprises Index fell by 61 points, or 0.68%, to 8,976, while the Technology Index declined 31 points, or 0.58%, to 5,458. WuXi AppTec saw its share price drop 4% after a discounted share placement. Technology stocks broadly weakened, with Meituan leading the decline, falling 3.06%. Alibaba slipped 0.95%, Xiaomi Group dropped 0.82%, Trip.com Group eased 0.57%, and Tencent edged down 0.36%. Financial stocks also displayed weakness. HSBC Holdings extended its losses by...
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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