Gold price advances during the North American session on Friday as the US Dollar weakens, with traders booking profits ahead of the weekend. Additionally, a Fed Governor's comments turned more dovish than expected, supporting a rate cut in July. At the time of writing, the XAU/USD trades at $3,353, up 0.43%. The market mood is upbeat after the University of Michigan (UoM) revealed that Americans have become optimistic about the economy and expect inflation to edge lower. Recently, Fed Governor Christopher Waller suggested that the central bank should cut interest rates at the upcoming...
European markets opened higher on Monday, looking to recover from a tumultuous start to the year for stocks. The regional Stoxx 600 index rose 0.3% in early trade, while sector gains were led by technology and autos, up 1.4% and 1.3%, respectively. Finnish fuel producer Neste led the gains, rising nearly 5%, continuing its positive momentum after last week announcing its largest contract to supply sustainable aviation fuel. Source: CNBC
The Hang Seng fell 72 points, or 0.4%, to close at 19,688 on Monday after trading slightly higher in the morning, dragged down by losses across sectors. Sentiment turned sour as China's markets slumped to a near three-month low, down for a fourth session amid growing concerns over a sluggish recovery and trade risks as Trump returns to the White House. Limiting losses was a private sector survey that showed China's services activity rose the most in seven months in December, even as overseas orders fell and cost pressures increased. Meanwhile, the Shanghai and Shenzhen bourses met with...
Japanese stocks fell after the close on Monday, as losses in the Shipbuilding, Precision Instruments and Communications sectors led shares lower. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 was down 1.65%. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Ebara Corp. (TYO:6361), which rose 5.71% or 140.50 points to trade at 2,601.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Furukawa Electric Co., Ltd. (TYO:5801) gained 5.40% or 361.00 points to close at 7,046.00 and Suzuki Motor Corp. (TYO:7269) gained 5.17% or 92.50 points to 1,882.50 in late trade. The worst performers on the session were DeNA Co Ltd...
Asia-Pacific markets were mixed on Monday as investors assessed business activity figures from several key economies in the region. China's Caixin services purchasing managers' index from S&P Global rose to 52.2 in December, which marked the service sector's fastest expansion since May 2024. China's central bank said over the weekend it would implement a "moderately loose" monetary policy in 2025 as it seeks to boost growth. Separately, Hong Kong's PMI declined in December compared to the month before. December PMI figures for India will also be released Monday.Hong Kong's Hang Seng...
The au Jibun Bank Japan Services PMI was revised lower to 50.9 in December 2024 from a flash reading of 51.4. The latest result followed November's print of 50.5, marking the second consecutive month of growth in the service sector and the strongest pace since September. New orders increased for the sixth straight month, with the growth rate reaching its strongest since August. Employment also rose, marking the 15th month of gains, though the rise was modest. Meanwhile, outstanding business accumulated for the second month in a row, with the growth rate marginal but surpassing the long-run...
The S&P Global Hong Kong SAR PMI eased to 51.1 in December 2024, down from 51.2 in November, marking the third consecutive month of private sector expansion, though at its slowest pace in the current sequence. Growth in new business softened as demand from both Mainland China and international markets weakened, leading to slower output growth. Companies remained cautious and opted to reduce staffing levels, although they continued to increase their inventory of input products. At the same time, pricing pressures remained subdued, contributing to the sharpest decline in average selling...
Asia-Pacific markets mostly climbed Monday, with investors awaiting business activity figures from several key economies in the region. China's Caixin services purchasing managers' index from S&P Global is due later in the day. Market reaction in China will also be in focus after the country's central bank said over the weekend it would implement a "moderately loose" monetary policy in 2025.December PMI figures for India and Hong Kong will also be released MondayFutures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index last traded at 19,827, pointing to a stronger open for the index compared to the HSI's...
US stocks closed higher on Friday, ending the first week of the new year on a positive note ahead of data that should provide more insights on the health of the largest economy in the world. At close, the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 0.8%, the S&P 500 index rose 1.3%, and the NASDAQ Composite index climbed 1.7%. The main Wall Street indexes reported stellar gains in 2024, but expectations of slower interest rate cuts and uncertainty over policies under incoming President Donald Trump have chipped away at this sentiment. In a relatively quiet day for economic data, investors will...
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....