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 fell on Thursday, with the three major indexes down nearly 0.3%, as investors digested a slew of economic data and concerns about the economic outlook resurfaced. Retail sales rose 0.1% in April, compared with expectations for no change. However, core retail sales, which are more directly linked to GDP, fell 0.3%. Meanwhile, producer prices unexpectedly fell 0.5%, driven largely by a decline in margins, suggesting companies may be absorbing some cost pressures from higher tariffs. Energy, consumer goods and health care were the biggest losers. Apple shares fell 0.2% after President...
The Hang Seng fell 187 points or 0.8% to close at 23,453 on Thursday, reversing early gains and pulling back from a strong rally in the previous session. All sectors declined, weighed by tech, property, and consumer stocks. Sentiment weakened as mainland Chinese markets turned lower after a three-day bullish mood. Caution also grew after Wednesday's data showed a plunge to a 20-year low in China's new bank loans for April, reflecting weak demand and ongoing pressure from the U.S.–China trade tensions. Even news that Beijing had rolled back a rare earth export ban amid easing trade disputes...
European stocks opened firmly in negative territory as investors digested earnings updates from a number of companies across the continent. The Stoxx Europe 600 and France's CAC 40 were down 0.4%, while the U.K.'s FTSE 100 and Germany's DAX were down 0.5% as of 8:25 a.m. in London. Elsewhere in the currency market, the British pound gained 0.2% after better-than-expected U.K. gross domestic product figures for the first quarter. Shares of German industrial giant Thyssenkrupp plunged 8% shortly after the opening bell Thursday, sending the company to the bottom of the regional Stoxx 600...
Japanese stocks fell after the close on Thursday (5/15), as losses in the Paper & Pulp, Transportation and Communications sectors led shares lower. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 was down 0.88%. The best performers on the Nikkei 225 were Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd. (TYO:6976), which rose 6.77% or 159.50 points to trade at 2,514.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Aozora Bank, Ltd. (TYO:8304) gained 5.75% or 114.50 points to close at 2,105.50 and Haseko Corp. (TYO:1808) gained 4.77% or 95.50 points to 2,098.50 in late trade. The worst performers on the session were Rakuten Inc (TYO:4755),...
Hong Kong shares rose 56 points, or 0.2%, to 23,691 during the morning session on Thursday (May 15), marking a second straight day of gains. Traders reacted to Beijing's decision to lift export curbs on rare earths and military-use technology for 28 U.S. entities, effective Wednesday, allowing exporters to apply for licenses for a 90-day period. China also temporarily lifted trade and investment bans on 17 U.S. companies, which it called a potential step to restart bilateral ties. Locally, Financial Secretary Paul Chan said Hong Kong's interest rates may remain low due to ample liquidity,...
The Nikkei 225 index fell 1% to around 37,700 while the broader Topix index fell 0.7% to 2,745 on Thursday, with Japanese shares dropping for a second straight session as the recent market rally fueled by the U.S.-China trade deal lost momentum. Analysts noted that while easing global trade tensions offered some relief, the broader outlook for corporate earnings and economic growth remained largely unchanged. Investors were also watching developments in a potential U.S.-Japan trade agreement, with Tokyo aiming to finalize a deal by June. In corporate news, Sony Group tumbled 4.7% after...
Asia-Pacific markets fell Thursday (15/5), after mostly gaining in the previous session on easing U.S.-China trade tensions. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 0.90%, while the Topix lost 0.75%. South Korea's Kospi declined 0.29% while the small-cap Kosdaq slipped 0.37%. Australia's benchmark S&P/ASX 200 lost 0.24%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index dropped 0.42%, while mainland China's CSI 300 was flat. "While markets have largely priced in peak tariff-related macro stress, we remain wary of a second wave of volatility, this time driven by fiscal policy uncertainty and weakening...
US stocks ended mixed on Wednesday as investors weighed evolving trade policies and recent strength in the tech sector. The S&P 500 added 0.1% after erasing its losses for the year, while the Dow slipped 89 points and the Nasdaq 100 rose 0.7%, boosted by gains in major chipmakers. Nvidia climbed 3% following reports of AI chip shipments to Saudi Arabia, and AMD jumped 4% after unveiling a $6 billion share buyback plan. The broader AI rally fueled a 17% surge in Super Micro Computer, helping lift overall market sentiment. Optimism was further supported by a temporary U.S.-China tariff...
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....