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...
U.S. stocks gyrated on Tuesday, as investors analyzed the latest batch of first-quarter earnings reports and enjoyed a recent decline in market turmoil. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lost 155.83 points, or 0.38%, to close at 40,368.96. The S&P 500 declined 0.17% and ended at 5,396.63, and Nasdaq Composite ticked down 0.05% and settled at at 16,823.17. The three averages are coming off back-to-back winning sessions. Tuesday's muted moves were in stark contrast to the volatile swings seen in recent sessions. The Cboe Volatility Index (VIX), known as Wall Street's "fear gauge," fell...
European stocks closed firmly higher on Tuesday, extending the sharp gains from last session after prospects that the US could pause tariffs for autos and parts supported key sectors of the European economy. The Eurozone's STOXX 50 gained 1.2% and the pan-European STOXX 600 jumped 1.6%. Investor sentiment was buoyed by President Trump's remarks on Monday, indicating he is considering temporary exemptions on tariffs for imported vehicles and parts to give automakers more time to expand US-based production. Besides aiding companies with exposure to the auto sector, the remarks supported hopes...
The three major averages in the US were up nearly 0.3% on Tuesday, as investors weighed trade war developments against rising hopes for a temporary pause in auto tariffs. President Trump said on Monday he is considering temporary exemptions on tariffs for imported vehicles and auto parts, aiming to give manufacturers more time to ramp up US-based production. At the same time, the Commerce Department announced a new investigation into the national security implications of semiconductor and pharmaceutical imports, a move seen as laying the groundwork for fresh tariffs in those sectors. In...
The Hang Seng rose 49 points or 0.23% to finish at 21,466 on Tuesday, extending its winning streak to a sixth session and holding at a two-month peak. U.S. tariff exclusions on specific electronics continued to support sentiment, which helped ease concerns about President Trump's reciprocal tariffs on China. At the same time, U.S. futures were slightly higher after back-to-back gains on Wall Street S&P 500 Monday, with attention shifting to upcoming Q1 earnings results. However, advances were capped as investors awaited more clarity on trade developments, particularly after the U.S....
Stocks in Europe were higher on Tuesday, with both the STOXX 50 adding 0.3% and the STOXX 600 rising about 0.7%, as optimism grew over a potential pause in auto tariffs and the earnings season gained momentum. Investor sentiment was buoyed by President Trump's remarks on Monday, indicating he is considering temporary exemptions on tariffs for imported vehicles and parts to give automakers more time to expand US-based production. The auto sector led the gains, with Mercedes-Benz climbing 2.9%, BMW 2.5%, Volkswagen 2.8%, Stellantis 4.3%, and Renault 1.9%. Other sectors also traded in...
Japanese stocks rose after the close on Tuesday (4/15), as gains in the Real Estate, Banking and Textile sectors helped stocks advance. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 gained 0.89%. The best performers on the Nikkei 225 were Yokogawa Electric Corp. (TYO:6841), which rose 7.41% or 208.00 points to trade at 3,014.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Denso Corp. (TYO:6902) rose 5.64% or 94.00 points to close at 1,761.00 and Sumitomo Electric Industries Ltd. (TYO:5802) gained 5.27% or 107.50 points to 2,148.00 at the close. The worst performers on the session were Shiseido Co., Ltd. (TYO:4911),...
Hong Kong stocks were little changed in early trade on Tuesday (4/15), hovering near 21,420, as gains in property and consumer discretionary stocks were offset by losses in technology and financials. Traders weighed the impact of a temporary US tariff exemption on popular electronics, announced by President Trump last Friday, while weighing the possibility of fresh levies, including on semiconductors, in the coming weeks. Investors also awaited key Chinese economic data due later in the week, including Q1 GDP, industrial production, retail sales and the unemployment rate. Meanwhile, the...
The Nikkei 225 Index rose 1% to above 34,300 while the broader Topix Index added 1.2% to 2,518 on Tuesday, extending gains from the previous session and taking cues from a strong lead on Wall Street overnight. Major US stock indexes advanced on Monday as President Donald Trump exempted key electronic products from his reciprocal tariffs, while also reportedly considering pausing his 25% levies on auto imports. However, caution lingered as the US Commerce Department launched a national security investigation into semiconductor and pharmaceutical imports, keeping global markets on alert....
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....