Oil headed for the biggest weekly loss since late June as traders positioned for a key OPEC+ decision on supply this weekend. Brent futures edged marginally higher on Friday, but were still trading below $65 a barrel and set for a weekly slump of about 8%. Prices have declined the past four days on the expectation OPEC+ will discuss fast-tracking more supply hikes. Meanwhile, efforts by the Trump administration to keep oil exports flowing from northern Iraq, as well as a US government shutdown, have added to the bearish sentiment. The OPEC+ meeting comes as...
The Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.56% to close 38,349 while the broader Topix Index jumped 0.82% to 2,687 on Thursday, with Japanese shares ending a two-day decline as risk sentiment improved, while investors took advantage of lower valuations. However, caution persisted as the yen surged to its highest levels in over five weeks on Wednesday, driven by speculation that the Bank of Japan may raise interest rates again as soon as next month. Markets are now assigning a 60% chance of a 25 basis point rate hike in Japan in December, up from around 50% a week ago. Investors are also closely watching...
European markets are expected to open higher Thursday, rallying after being in the doldrums yesterday. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 16 points higher at 8,291, Germany's DAX up 72 points at 19,334, France's CAC up 30 points at 7.173 and Italy's FTSE MIB up 98 points at 33,310, according to data from IG. There are no major earnings Thursday, but data releases include Spanish and German inflation and European economic sentiment figures. Italian and Spanish business confidence data is also due. It'll be a quieter day globally with U.S. markets...
Hong Kong's equities plunged 198 points or 1.0% to 19,405 on Thursday morning deals, ending gains in the previous two sessions amid declines in all sectors, especially consumers, tech, and financials. Sentiment was downbeat following overnight losses on Wall Street, driven by a pullback in major US tech stocks ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Meanwhile, concerns over trade disputes between China and the US administration were heightened as the Biden administration reportedly considered imposing additional restrictions on the sales of semiconductor equipment and AI memory chips to...
Asia-Pacific markets opened mixed on Thursday after Wall Street's rally stalled overnight even as inflation data matched expectations. The U.S. personal consumption expenditures, or PCE, price index rose 2.3% on an annualized basis, up from 2.1% in September. So-called core inflation, which excludes food and energy prices, rose 2.8% in the 12 months to October, up from 2.7% in the previous month. Both were in line with expectations from economists polled by Reuters, according to LSEG data. The Bank of Korea is expected to keep its benchmark interest rate unchanged at 3.25% when its...
Japanese stocks fell, dragged down by a decline in electronics shares, as concerns about U.S. trade policy persisted. Lasertec dropped 3.4% and Terumo dropped 1.7%. USD/JPY was at 151.46, down from 152.15 at the close of the Tokyo Stock Exchange on Wednesday. Investors were watching the yen and any developments related to the Russia-Ukraine war. The Nikkei Stock Average was down 0.4% at 37,994.69. Source: Bloomberg
Stocks fell in light trading on Wednesday as investors took some risk off the table following big November gains. The S&P 500 shed 0.4%, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.8%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 115 points, or 0.3%, despite trading more than 140 points up at session highs. Traders appeared to take profits on big technology names that have largely performed well this year, which can explain the Nasdaq's underperformance. Nvidia which has surged more than 168% in 2024, lost more than 3% in the session. Meta Platformsslid about 1% after rallying around 60% this...
European stocks closed firmly lower on Wednesday, extending the drop from the prior session as markets continued to assess the outlook for ECB policy and the impact of tariff threats from the upcoming US presidential administration. The Eurozone's Stoxx 50 dropped 0.6% to close at 4,734 and the pan-European Stoxx 600 eased 0.2% to close at 505. ECB Governing Council member Schnabel noted that the Eurozone's economy is not headed into a recession, warranting caution in its upcoming policy decisions to not overly expedite rate cuts. French financial services providers were among the worst...
Stocks edged lower as traders waded through mixed data on the world's largest economy ahead of a key inflation reading. Equities halted a seven-day rally that drove the S&P 500 to all-time highs. Treasuries advanced across the curve, while the dollar fell. The US economy expanded at a solid pace in the third quarter, largely powered by a broad-based advance in consumer spending and steady business investment. Gross domestic product increased at a 2.8% annualized pace. Separate figures showed initial jobless claims were...
Gold (XAU/USD) is extending its decline on Wednesday for a second consecutive day as the US Dollar (USD) and US Treasury yields firm ahead of the release of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC)...
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....