Oil headed for the biggest weekly loss since late June as traders positioned for a key OPEC+ decision on supply this weekend. Brent futures edged marginally higher on Friday, but were still trading below $65 a barrel and set for a weekly slump of about 8%. Prices have declined the past four days on the expectation OPEC+ will discuss fast-tracking more supply hikes. Meanwhile, efforts by the Trump administration to keep oil exports flowing from northern Iraq, as well as a US government shutdown, have added to the bearish sentiment. The OPEC+ meeting comes as...
European stocks closed mostly higher to extend the positive momentum this week on strength in healthcare and luxury brands. The Eurozone's STOXX 50 inched higher to 5,651 and the pan-European STOXX 600 rose 0.5% to 570, both at record highs. Sanofi, Novo Nordisk, Merck, and UCB rose more than 2%, extending their surge this week after the US Presidential Administration signaled that tariffs on pharmaceutical goods may be less aggressive than feared, while allowing patients to buy discounted prescription drugs through a new federal website. Luxury giants were also higher as markets assessed...
Wall Street's main indexes opened higher on Friday as optimism about an imminent interest-rate cut by the Federal Reserve boosted sentiment in the final trading session of a week that saw volatility due to the U.S. government shutdown. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI), opens new tab rose 64.2 points, or 0.14%, at the open to 46,583.95. The S&P 500 (.SPX), opens new tab rose 6.8 points, or 0.10%, at the open to 6,722.14, while the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC), opens new tab rose 42.1 points, or 0.18%, to 22,886.157. Source: Reuters.com
The Hang Seng Index weakened 146 points, or 0.5%, to close at 27,141 on Friday (October 3), retreating from a four-year high after three sessions of gains, as traders took profits following five consecutive months of gains since May. Sentiment was also impacted by concerns over the US government shutdown, which has halted much official activity, including the jobs report originally due today, with markets bracing for a shutdown that could last until next week. Trading was also sluggish as mainland Chinese markets remain closed until October 8. The decline was broad-based, with technology...
European stocks extended gains on Friday, with the STOXX 50 up 0.4% and the STOXX 600 rising 0.3% to fresh record highs, as optimism around artificial intelligence continued to buoy global investor sentiment. Momentum was further supported by news of fresh industry alliances - Hitachi teaming up with OpenAI and Fujitsu partnering with Nvidia. At the same time, investors monitored developments around the US federal government shutdown, though its market impact has so far remained limited. Among sectors, basic resources, banks, autos, and financial services led the gains, while technology...
The Nikkei 225 jumped 1.85% to close at 45,769, while the broader Topix rose 1.35% to 3,129 on Friday, with the Nikkei finishing at a fresh record as enthusiasm for artificial intelligence drove Japanese chip stocks higher. Sentiment was lifted after OpenAI's $6.6 billion share sale valued the firm at $500 billion, fueling optimism across AI-related sectors. Hitachi surged 10.3% on reports of a partnership with OpenAI, while SoftBank Group (+3.6%), Advantest (+4.3%) and Tokyo Electron (+2.3%) also posted strong gains. Politically, investors prepared for a pivotal ruling party leadership...
The Hong Kong stock market opened lower today. The Hang Seng Index fell 65 points, or 0.24%, to close at 27,221. The China Enterprises Index also fell 0.31%, while the technology index weakened 0.44%. Technology stocks showed mixed movements - Tencent and Alibaba recorded slight gains, while JD.com and Kuaishou experienced declines. Meituan and Xiaomi saw no price changes. In the financial sector, stock movements were also mixed. HSBC fell 1.1%, while stocks like AIA Group and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange were unchanged. In the automotive sector, most stocks moved lower. BYD, XPeng, and Li...
Asia-Pacific markets opened mostly higher Friday, tracking Wall Street gains as investors shrugged off the U.S. government shutdown. Investors are waiting to see how long the shutdown will last to assess the gravity of its economic repercussions. Historically, government shutdowns in the U.S. have not been market-moving events. Japan's September unemployment rate rose to 2.6%, government data showed Friday, higher than the 2.4% expected by economists polled by Reuters. The latest reading compared with the 2.3% unemployment rate in August. The country's September manufacturing purchasing...
Gold (XAU/USD) is extending its decline on Wednesday for a second consecutive day as the US Dollar (USD) and US Treasury yields firm ahead of the release of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC)...
Oil extended declines after OPEC+ agreed to a bigger-than-expected production increase next month, raising concerns about oversupply just as US tariffs fan fears about the demand outlook.
Brent...
The Japanese Yen (JPY) weakened against its US counterpart and reversed part of Friday's recovery from the lowest level since July 23 following Bank of Japan (BOJ) Governor Kazuo Ueda's remarks....