The Hang Seng climbed 226 points or 0.9% to end at 24,733 on Monday, snapping a four-session dip as all sectors gained. Traders looked ahead to developments on the U.S.-China trade truce, set to expire on August 12. Meanwhile, U.S. Treasury Secretary Bessent said Washington is optimistic about reaching a deal with China, following recent trade talks in Stockholm. Separately, China's top leaders pledged to support the economy and rein in "disorderly competition" during last week's Politburo meeting. Beijing also confirmed its fourth plenum will be held in October, likely focusing on the next...
The dollar index topped 110 on Monday, the highest level since October 2022, and extending a 0.6% gain in the first week of the year, as traders scaled back expectations for Federal Reserve rate cuts this year, driven by a stronger-than-expected jobs report on Friday. Concerns over inflationary policies under President-elect Donald Trump also added to the cautious outlook. Traders now anticipate only 27 basis points of rate cuts in 2024, a sharp reduction from the 50 basis points forecast earlier this month, with the expected single quarter-point cut likely postponed to the second half of...
Gold prices are likely to rise further in 2025, according to Phillip Nova analyst Priyanka Sachdeva in a research note. The yellow metal surpassed the $2,700/oz mark last Friday after consolidating in the $2,600/oz range for over a month, the analyst points out. A sustained consolidation above the $2,700/oz mark would enable gold bulls to target $3,000/oz, Sachdeva adds. There is strong long-term support for a bullish upswing in gold, particularly with macroeconomic factors expected to play a significant role in 2025. Gold investors are currently focused on the release of the U.S....
Silver prices (XAG/USD) fell on Monday, according to FXStreet data. Silver trades at $30.09 per troy ounce, down 0.81% from the $30.34 it cost on Friday. Silver prices have increased by 4.15% since the beginning of the year. Source: FXstreet
Brent crude rose more than 2% to $81.50 a barrel on Monday (13/1), its highest in more than four months, as new U.S. sanctions on Russia's energy sector raised concerns about supply disruptions. The sanctions, the most extensive yet, target major exporters, insurers and more than 150 tankers, sending major buyers such as India and China scrambling for alternatives. The move has caused confusion, with Chinese refiners holding emergency meetings and Indian refiners bracing for months of potential disruptions. Early signs of disruptions include sanctioned tankers stuck off the coast of China,...
Silver prices fell to around $30.2 an ounce on Monday, reversing some of last week's gains, as the dollar strengthened following stronger-than-expected U.S. jobs data. The data dampened expectations for further interest rate cuts by the Federal Reserve this year, and a stronger dollar makes dollar-denominated commodities like silver more expensive for buyers holding other currencies, dampening demand. Looking ahead, investors are focused on U.S. inflation data this week for further insight into the Fed's policy direction. Despite the recent pullback, silver jumped nearly 3% last week,...