Hong Kong stocks rose 98 points, or 0.4%, to 24,607 in early trading on Monday, ending a four-day losing streak amid gains led by the property and technology sectors. Sentiment improved after China's top leaders pledged to support the economy and tackle "irregular competition" at last week's Politburo meeting. Beijing also confirmed plans to hold its fourth plenary session in October, which will likely focus on the next five-year plan. A modest rebound in US stock futures added support, following Wall Street's sharp decline on Friday due to weak employment data. On tariffs, US Treasury...
Gold price rebounded off daily lows on Friday, extending its rally for the fourth consecutive day as traders shrugged off a strong United States (US) Nonfarm Payrolls report. This tempered the Federal Reserve's (Fed) concerns about the labor market, but not so much inflation as some officials acknowledged. The XAU/USD trades at $2,687, up 0.69%. Bullion fell sharply after the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) revealed that the economy added an outstanding number of people to the workforce, topping 200K. As a consequence, the Unemployment Rate dipped, while investors priced in fewer...
Oil prices jumped more than 4% on Friday to their highest since October as traders focused on potential supply disruptions from further sanctions on Russia. Brent crude futures rose $3.50, or 4.6%, to $80.42 a barrel by 1422 GMT, hitting $80 a barrel for the first time since Oct. 7. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose $3.57, or 4.8%, to $77.49. The United States is set to impose some of the toughest sanctions on Russia's oil industry to date, designating 180 vessels, dozens of traders, two major oil companies and several Russian oil executives, according to a document seen by...
Gold (XAU/USD) price is set to close the week on a high note as it trades for the fourth straight day of gains. The upbeat nonfarm payrolls figure came in at 256,000 jobs, which was very close to the maximum expected gain of 260,000. The figure was enough to stoke further inflation concerns, with markets pricing in a Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cut as early as October 2025, compared to July earlier this week. Source: FXStreet
Silver (XAG/USD) prices rose near $31.30 during the European session on Friday. The white metal strengthened ahead of the United States (US) Nonfarm Payroll (NFP) data for December, due to be released at 13:30 GMT. The labor market data will influence market expectations on whether the Federal Reserve (Fed) will continue its cautious stance on further policy easing. The NFP report is expected to show that the US economy added 160,000 new jobs in December, down from 227,000 in November. The Unemployment Rate is expected to remain steady at 4.2%. Investors will also be watching the Average...
Brent crude rose more than 2% to above $78.50 a barrel on Friday, hitting its highest since October, boosted by a draw in U.S. crude stockpiles. Cold weather in the U.S. reduced inventory levels at Cushing, Oklahoma, to the lowest since 2014. Global oil markets are tight due to reduced supplies from major exporters such as Russia and Iran, as well as a surge in demand for heating fuel. The rise in oil prices is also linked to concerns about U.S. policy under President-elect Donald Trump, including potential sanctions on Iran and a trade conflict that could disrupt energy flows. Trump's...