Oil prices stabilized on Thursday (February 12th), as the market reassigned a risk premium to US-Iran tensions despite US inventory data showing swelling domestic supplies. This movement confirms one thing: geopolitical headlines are still more "noise" than signals of a short-term surplus. As of 3:50 PM WIB, Brent was at $69.60/barrel (+0.29%) and WTI was at $64.83/barrel (+0.31%). The gains were moderate, but enough to keep prices near the psychological $70 level for Brent. From a geopolitical perspective, market focus is on the potential for escalation in the Middle East. Recent reports...
European shares were subdued on Wednesday ahead of a crucial inflation report out of the U.S., while investors assessed the impact of a potential U.S.-China agreement on the trade war. The pan-European STOXX 600 was up 0.1% at 553.85 points at 0705 GMT. Late on Tuesday, U.S. and Chinese officials said they had agreed on a framework to put their trade truce back on track and remove China's export restrictions on rare earths, and remove some from the U.S. The agreement will be taken back to the leaders of the two countries for approval. In Europe, carmakers that would benefit from the...
Japan stocks were higher after the close on Wednesday, as gains in the Real Estate, Banking and Textile sectors led shares higher. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 added 0.49%. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were SUMCO Corp. (TYO:3436), which rose 10.51% or 104.00 points to trade at 1,094.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. (TYO:3099) added 5.74% or 128.00 points to end at 2,358.00 and Tokyo Electron Ltd. (TYO:8035) was up 4.80% or 1,140.00 points to 24,880.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were Hino Motors, Ltd....
The Hang Seng Index initiated the day by rising 28 points to 24,191 points, currently showing a 60-point increase or 0.25%, reaching 24,223 points. Concurrently, the H-share index climbed by 29 points or 0.33%, reaching 8,796 points, and the technology index saw a gain of 26 points or 0.48%, reaching 5,418 points. In the tech sector, stocks demonstrated overall stability, with Tencent rising by 0.4%, Alibaba by 1.1%, Meituan by 0.4%, Xiaomi Group by 0.6%, and Kuaishou witnessing a slight decline of 0.1%. Across the financial domain, individual movements were observed, notably with HSBC...
The Nikkei 225 Index climbed 0.5% to around 38,400 while the broader Topix Index gained 0.2% to 2,791 on Wednesday, with Japanese shares rising for the fourth straight session as signs of progress in US-China trade talks supported market sentiment. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said that two sides have reached a framework to implement the Geneva consensus and the call between their respective presidents. On the domestic front, Japan's producer prices rose 3.2% year-on-year in May, the slowest pace in eight months, easing some inflation concerns. Meanwhile, Bank of Japan Governor...
Asia-Pacific markets climbed Wednesday as investors continue to track trade discussions between the U.S. and China, which U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick described as being "productive." The talks between officials from both superpowers had continued for a second day in London on Tuesday. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said he was departing the ongoing trade talks, but Lutnick and U.S. Trade Representative Jamieson Greer would remain to continue the negotiations. Discussions could extend into Wednesday if needed, Lutnick said previously. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 started...
US stocks finished higher on Tuesday as investors kept a close watch on US-China trade talks, buoyed by comments from Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick, who said negotiations were going "really, really well." The S&P 500 climbed 0.5%, marking 3rd day wining streak, while the Dow added 105 points and the Nasdaq advanced 0.6%. Talks in London stretched into a second day, with both sides working late to finalize technical details, fueling optimism over a potential agreement to avoid further tariff escalation. Energy led sector gains, followed by consumer discretionary and health care,...
Stocks rose on Tuesday as investors awaited more insight into trade talks between the U.S. and China. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 51 points, or 0.1%. The S&P 500 rose about 0.3% along with the Nasdaq Composite Talks between U.S. and Chinese officials in London continued for a second day. U.S. Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick said Tuesday that discussions were "going well, and we're spending a lot of time together" and that he expected talks to continue throughout the day. Traders are watching the discussions for signs of a deal that doesn't involve the countries imposing...
The Hang Seng closed slightly lower at 24,163 on Tuesday, reversing early gains as declines in the technology and consumer staples sectors weighed on sentiment. Some traders locked in profits after the index hit a near three-month high in the previous session. Market sentiment turned cautious as mainland stocks retreated ahead of the second day of U.S.-China trade talks, where officials aim to resolve key disputes. While Washington and Beijing agreed to ease tariffs for 90 days, trade flows remained weak, with Chinese exports to the U.S. falling the most since the pandemic and U.S. imports...
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....