Hong Kong stocks edged lower on Thursday morning, holding at around 24,906 and ending a three-session winning streak, driven primarily by technology and consumer stocks. Sentiment weakened after US President Trump announced a 100% tariff on imported semiconductors, sparking concerns about a protracted trade war. Investors also grew cautious ahead of China's July trade data due later today, as Trump's unpredictable tariff policies have increased pressure on the Chinese economy. The losses were offset by a modest rise in US futures, amid reports that trading partners were rushing to finalize...
GBP/USD strengthened on Thursday (2/13), rising more than nine-tenths of a percent to touch the 1.2560 region after economic data came out generally better than expected on both sides of the Atlantic. UK Gross Domestic Product (GDP) beat market forecasts, and US Producer Price Index (PPI) inflation figures eased investor concerns after a surge in consumer inflation this week. US President Donald Trump unveiled his latest idea for raising tax revenues in the face of sharp administrative tax cuts. "Reciprocal tariffs," a plan to impose fees on countries that impose tariffs on US goods, are...
Gold prices rose on Thursday as U.S. President Donald Trump announced plans to impose reciprocal tariffs on countries that tax U.S. imports, raising concerns about global trade. Spot gold rose 0.4% to $2,915.76 an ounce, resuming its record high of $2,942.70 hit on Tuesday. U.S. gold futures settled 0.6% higher at $2,945.40. Trump announced a roadmap on Thursday to impose reciprocal tariffs on any country that imposes duties on U.S. imports. U.S. producer prices rose sharply in January, providing further evidence of rising inflation and reinforcing financial market expectations that the...
Oil prices were mostly steady on Thursday, paring losses of more than 1% earlier in the session, as a potential peace deal between Russia and Ukraine continued to exert downward pressure, but expectations of a pause in new U.S. tariffs fueled optimism. Brent crude was down 17 cents, or 0.2%, at $75.01 a barrel by 11:15 a.m. CST (1715 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was down 1 cent, or 0.1%, at $71.38. U.S. President Donald Trump said in a social media post that he planned to announce reciprocal tariffs on Thursday, which could target any country that imposes duties on...
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the performance of the US Dollar (USD) against six major currencies, has fallen to 107.50 so far on Thursday. The knee-jerk reaction comes after stronger-than-expected US Consumer Price Index (CPI) data for January was released on Wednesday, which pushed the US Dollar higher. However, the turnaround came in the US trading session when United States (US) President Donald Trump and Russian President Vladimir Putin agreed over the phone to start peace talks with Ukraine. The economic calendar is focusing on US producer figures on Thursday....
WTI crude oil futures fell by around 1% to $70.5 per barrel on Thursday, nearing a seven-week low, driven by optimism that peace talks between Russia and Ukraine, encouraged by President Trump, could lead to the easing of sanctions on Russian oil exports. Trump confirmed that talks would begin immediately and hinted at a possible meeting with Putin in Saudi Arabia, fueling speculation that the disruption to Moscow's oil supply could end. Meanwhile, concerns over Trump's threat of imposing new reciprocal tariffs on US trade partners added to market anxiety, potentially reducing economic...