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 stocks closed sharply higher on Wednesday after a quiet session amid a strong set of corporate earnings, as markets continued to assess risks to European corporate earnings amid U.S. trade headwinds and the prospect of higher defense-focused government spending. The STOXX 50 jumped 1.5% to 5,530, 5 points from a record, and the STOXX 600 gained 1.6% to a fresh record of 560. AB InBev jumped 8.7% after reporting stronger-than-expected fourth-quarter earnings, and Munich RE jumped 4.8% after beating earnings estimates and raising its dividend payout. Additionally, Siemens and...
The S&P 500 added 0.2% and the Nasdaq was up 0.4% on Wednesday, rebounding after 4 consecutive session of losses, while the Dow Jones traded around the flatline. Consumer discretionary and tech were the top performing sectors while health and consumer staples underperformed. Traders are eagerly awaiting Nvidia's earnings report, due after the closing bell, particularly for any insights into the potential impact of the DeepSeek emergence. Nvidia shares were up approximately 2.5%. In addition, Lowe's Companies surged more than 1.7% after reporting a 0.2% increase in same-store sales,...
The STOXX 50 rose 0.6% and the STOXX 600 gained 0.5% on Wednesday, rebounding from a lackluster session the previous day. Investors focused on corporate earnings and monitored a minerals deal between Ukraine and the US aimed at developing Ukraine's natural resources, an agreement that could help ease recent tensions between the two countries. Mining companies led the gains, supported by a rise in copper prices after US President Donald Trump signaled potential import tariffs on the metal. The food and beverages sector also advanced. On the earnings front, Anheuser-Busch InBev surged over 7%...
The Hang Seng surged 754 points, or 3.3%, to close at a more than three-year high of 23,788 on Wednesday, rebounding sharply from the previous session's decline. The rally came as investors reacted positively to Hong Kong's 2024-25 budget, in which Financial Secretary Paul Chan unveiled plans to curb public spending and raise revenue to narrow the fiscal deficit. Meanwhile, payroll taxes and corporate profits taxes will be completely waived, with certain restrictions. Sentiment was further boosted by reports that Chinese lawmakers are reviewing a draft law introducing new safeguards against...
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Wednesday, tracking declines in two key Wall Street benchmarks overnight after the U.S. consumer confidence survey came in much weaker than economists' estimates. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 and Topix were in negative territory for the second consecutive day. The Nikkei 225 fell 1.09%, while the broader Topix index was down 0.99% South Korea's Kospi rose 0.11% while the small-cap Kosdaq advanced 0.52%. Mainland China's CSI300 index started the day 0.16% higher. Hong Kong's Hang Seng index climbed 1.71% at the open. The Asian financial hub's annual...
The Hang Seng Index opened 204 points, or 0.88%, higher at 23,238 points this morning. The National Enterprises Index climbed by 69 points, or 0.81%, to reach 8,568 points, while the Technology Index increased by 64 points, or 1.13%, to 5,763 points. At 10.10am, the Hang Seng Index was trading at 23,521.59, up by 487.57 points or 2.12%.In the tech sector, notable gains were seen with Tencent rising by 0.6%, Alibaba by 1.3%, Meituan by 1.5%, Xiaomi by 1.9%, JD.com by 1.8%, and Kuaishou by 0.2%.Financial stocks remained stable, with HSBC Holdings up by 2.1%, AIA Insurance gaining 0.5%, Ping An...
The Nikkei 225 Index fell 1% to below 37,900 on Wednesday, hitting its lowest level in three months, mirroring losses on Wall Street amid growing economic concerns. Investors are also awaiting Nvidia's earnings report later today to assess whether the artificial intelligence rally remains strong. Meanwhile, traders in Japan are gearing up for a series of key economic reports due on Friday, which could provide fresh insights into the Bank of Japan's future monetary policy. The data, including figures on industrial production, retail sales, and Tokyo inflation, will be closely watched. Chip...
Stocks fell broadly on Tuesday, with the S&P 500 on track for its fourth straight decline, as traders weighed concerns about economic growth and global trade. The broad-market index fell 0.2%. The Nasdaq Composite fell 1%, with Nvidia's 1.4% drop leading the decliners. This week's losses have pulled the tech-focused Nasdaq into negative territory for the year. Meanwhile, the Dow Jones Industrial Average was trading higher by 220 points, or 0.5%. The market fell after the Conference Board's latest consumer confidence survey came in much weaker than economists had expected. It followed a...
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....