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...
The Hang Seng closed almost flat at 23,202 on Wednesday, following modest gains in the prior session, as strength in tech and financials were offset by weakness in property and consumers. Traders awaited President Trump's announcement on new reciprocal tariffs later today. The new duties are set to take effect immediately, the White House said, while a separate 25% tariff on auto imports will be enforced from April 3. On the geopolitical front, China conducted a second day of military drills around Taiwan on Wednesday, rattling market sentiment. At the same time, upbeat manufacturing data...
European markets opened lower Wednesday as global traders brace themselves for a raft of fresh trade tariffs due to be announced by U.S. President Donald Trump's administration. After rebounding Tuesday, the regional Stoxx 600 index was back in the red early Wednesday, down 0.23% shortly after the open. Most sectors notched declines, though travel and oil and gas stocks posted slight gains. Investors are concerned that the White House could be erring toward more punitive import duties after Trump said earlier this week that his "reciprocal tariffs" plan will target "all countries" when...
The Nikkei 225 fell 0.3% to around 35,520, while the broader Topix Index dropped 0.9% to 2,637 on Wednesday, extending this week's selloff as investors geared up for the implementation of US President Donald Trump's reciprocal tariffs. Trump is also set to impose levies on car imports, affecting a key export industry in Japan. Data earlier this week showed that business sentiment in Japan weakened for the first quarter amid mounting concerns over the potential effects of US tariffs on Japan's export-driven economy. Investors now await household spending data on Friday for further economic...
Hong Kong stocks fell 52 points or 0.2% to 23,161 in early deals on Wednesday, reversing a modest gain in the previous session amid losses in most sectors. Investors took a cautious stance ahead low as US futures drifted lower. Uncertainty also grew over China's policy stimulus, raising concerns about whether it would be timely and sufficient to counter escalating trade pressures. Goldman Sachs analysts warned that China's manufacturing activity could face pressures in the coming months due to additional trade barriers. Locally, Hong Kong's retail sales plunged 15.0% yoy in February,...
Asia-Pacific markets opened slightly higher Wednesday as investors brace for U.S. President Donald Trump to roll out fresh tariffs this week. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.06%, while the Topix declined 0.3%. South Korea's Kospi added 0.14% and the small-cap Kosdaq inched up 0.12%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 traded 0.63% higher. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index futures last traded at 23,150, lower than the HSI's Tuesday close of 23,206.64. U.S. stock futures moved higher as Wall Street awaits the expected rollout of President Donald Trump's tariffs on Wednesday. Overnight in the U.S., the three...
Wall Street major averages closed a volatile session mixed on Tuesday, as investors awaited clarity from President Trump regarding his upcoming tariff policy. The S&P 500 rose by 0.4%, the Nasdaq 100 gained 0.9%, while the Dow Jones finished marginally in the red. Consumer discretionary stocks, including Tesla and Nike, led the day's gains. The market remained under pressure from weaker-than-expected economic data, including a disappointing manufacturing survey with price pressures at their highest since 2022 and job openings below forecasts. The White House confirmed that reciprocal...
European markets rebounded on Tuesday, with the Stoxx 50 and Stoxx 600 rising over 1%, recovering from a four-session losing streak. This comes after both indexes fell about 1.5% the previous day to two-month lows, as investors braced for President Trump's new trade tariffs set to take effect on Wednesday. Uncertainty remains over the scope of the tariffs, with reports suggesting a 20% levy on most U.S. imports. Meanwhile, Eurozone inflation cooled to 2.2% in March, in line with expectations. In corporate news, Thyssenkrupp surged over 7% after analysts at Kepler Cheuvreux upgraded the...
U.S. stocks fell Tuesday, as the market awaited clarity from President Donald Trump regarding his tariff policy rollout. Tuesday also marks the beginning of the second-quarter after a bumpy first quarter. The Dow Jones Industrial Average dropped 238 points, or 0.6%. The S&P 500 shed 0.4%, and the Nasdaq Composite slid 0.3%. Shares of Alphabet and Apple lost more than 1% each. Tesla, meanwhile, climbed more than 2%. The White House on Wednesday is expected to unveil reciprocal tariffs on goods from virtually all countries. Investors had been hoping for a narrow approach toward...
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....