Gold (XAU/USD) Gold (XAU/USD) regains ground on Friday, edging modestly higher after earlier weakness, even as a resilient US Dollar (USD) caps upside momentum. At the time of writing, XAU/USD trades around $4,345, recovering from a daily low near $4,309. The precious metal briefly surged toward record highs on Thursday after US inflation data undershot expectations. However, gains quickly faded as softer inflation lifted risk appetite across equity markets and pushed Gold back within the range established earlier this week. That said, the downside appears limited, as a dovish Federal...
US stocks slumped on Friday after Donald Trump escalated trade tensions by threatening tariffs on Apple and the European Union. The S&P 500 fell 0.6%, the Nasdaq 100 dropped 0.9% and the Dow dropped 256 points. Apple shares plunged 3%, pushing its valuation below $3 trillion, after Trump demanded that iPhones sold in the US be made domestically or face 25% tariffs. He also proposed a 50% tariff on all EU imports starting June 1 as trade talks stalled, renewing concerns about protectionist policies. Technology stocks led the decline, with names such as Micron, Qualcomm and Nvidia...
European stocks closed sharply lower on Friday after US President Trump said he was recommending 50% tariffs on the European Union, potentially taking away demand from Europe's main export source. The eurozone STOXX 50 fell 1.9% to 5,322 and the pan-European STOXX 600 dropped to 545. Carmakers, luxury brands and textile producers led the losses due to their heavy reliance on US consumers, with Mercedes Benz, BMW, Stellantis, Hermes and Inditex down between 4.5% and 2%. Meanwhile, the possibility of retaliation by the European Commission weighed on banks, with Intesa Sanpaolo, UniCredit and...
Stocks declined Friday after President Donald Trump ramped up his trade fight again, slapping a tariff on Apple for foreign-made iPhones and recommending new stiffer duties on the European Union. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 284 points, or 0.7%. The S&P 500 shed 0.8%, and the Nasdaq Composite dropped 1%. Apple shares shed more than 2% after Trump posted on Truth Social that iPhones sold in the U.S. must be made in the U.S. and if they are not "a tariff of at least 25% must be paid by Apple." The move against Apple by Trump is the first against a specific company in his tariff...
The Hang Seng rose 57 points or 0.24% to close at 23,601 on Friday, rebounding from sharp losses in the prior session amid gains in financials. Sentiment improved after the PBoC injected CNY 500 billion into the system through its one-year lending facility. The central bank also lowered the cap on deposit rates to support bank profitability and encourage spending over saving. For the week, the index added 1.1%, marking its sixth straight weekly rise—the longest streak since February—boosted by strong IPO momentum. Meanwhile, Beijing and Washington remained in high-level contact during a...
Japan stocks were higher after the close on Friday, as gains in the Real Estate, Banking and Textile sectors led shares higher. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 gained 0.42%. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Japan Steel Works Ltd (TYO:5631), which rose 10.05% or 590.00 points to trade at 6,463.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Mitsubishi Heavy Industries, Ltd. (TYO:7011) added 5.39% or 164.00 points to end at 3,208.00 and Nintendo Co Ltd (TYO:7974) was up 5.36% or 600.00 points to 11,800.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were Mercari Inc...
Both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 edged up 0.2% on Friday, rebounding after two consecutive sessions of losses. Despite the modest gains, both indexes are on track to end the week largely unchanged, as traders await fresh catalysts amid ongoing concerns over the US fiscal outlook, which continues to unsettle global markets and push bond yields higher. On the trade front, high-level dialogue between Beijing and Washington continued, with senior officials holding a call on Thursday, an encouraging sign that both sides remain open to reaching an agreement. EU and US officials are also expected...
Hong Kong stocks rose 89 points or 0.4% to 23,627 in early trade Friday, swinging from the previous session's drop after the U.S. and China agreed to maintain open communication following a call between Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu and U.S. Deputy Secretary of State Christopher Landau. Sentiment was also lifted by the PBoC's recent move to cut key interest rates, including those at major state-owned banks, in a step expected to prompt smaller lenders to follow suit amid shrinking net interest margins. Gains were broad-based, led by financials, tech, and consumer stocks. For the...
Asia-Pacific markets mostly climbed Friday as investors assess a slew of economic data from the region. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 rose 1.04% and the Topix climbed 0.89%. South Korea's Kospi rose 0.36% while the small-cap Kosdaq was down 0.34%. Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 was up 0.33%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index and mainland China's CSI 300 traded flat at the open. The U.S. and China agreed to maintain communication following a call between Chinese Vice Foreign Minister Ma Zhaoxu and U.S. Deputy Secretary Christopher Landau, according to a readout released by the Chinese...
Gold rises in the early Asian trade. There's a broad commodities uptrend, driven by macro uncertainty, a weaker dollar, and persistent demand for "hard" assets, says Fawad Razaqzada, market analyst...
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....