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 markets are expected to open higher Thursday as investors monitor earnings reports from a raft of major European companies. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 10 points higher at 8,696, Germany's DAX up 49 points at 22,475, France's CAC up 16 points at 8,118 and Italy's FTSE MIB 32 points higher at 38,437, according to data from IG. Earnings are due from Accor, Schneider Electric, Mercedes, Zurich Insurance, Lloyds Banking Group, Centrica, Airbus, Hays, Anglo American, Renault, Repsol, Leonardo and Aegon. There are no major data releases Thursday.U.S. President Donald...
Shares in Hong Kong tumbled 486 points or 2.1% to 22,460 on Thursday morning session, marking the second session of decline amid a pullback in US futures as investors analyzed US President Trump's proposed levies of about 25% on autos, chip, and drug imports. Markets moved further away from their highest in over four months, hit earlier in the week, after the latest FOMC meeting minutes showed Fed officials were ready to hold interest rates steady due to stubborn US inflation and economic policy uncertainty. Mitigating further weakness, the PBoC's monthly fixing on its key lending rates...
The Nikkei 225 Index fell 0.9% to below 38,800, while the broader Topix Index dropped 0.8% to 2,745 on Thursday, extending losses from the previous session as concerns over US President Donald Trump's escalating tariff threats weighed on market sentiment. Trump recently announced plans to impose 25% tariffs on imports of autos, semiconductors, and pharmaceuticals—sectors that are crucial to Japan's economy. In addition, minutes from the latest US Federal Reserve meeting revealed that policymakers would prefer to see further progress on inflation before making additional interest rate cuts....
The S&P 500 rose to a record on Wednesday, as stocks held firm despite President Donald Trump's threats of more tariffs and the Federal Reserve's continued cautious stance. The S&P 500 rose 0.1%, notching its second straight record. The Nasdaq Composite fell 0.02%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average was flat. Microsoft rose 1% and led the broader technology sector higher after the company unveiled its first quantum computing chip. Nvidia rose 1% while Tesla rose more than 2%. Analog Devices jumped nearly 10% after posting better-than-expected quarterly results on both top and...
European stocks closed sharply lower on Wednesday, retreating from the previous session's record highs amid downbeat corporate earnings and trade tensions, while investors weighed up the potential for a European bond issue. The eurozone STOXX 600 fell 1.4% to close at 5,458 and the pan-European STOXX 600 dropped 1% to close at 552. Financials and consumer discretionary stocks were among the biggest losers, with Allianz, Munich RE, Santander, Hermes and Inditex all down nearly 3%. Carmakers also tumbled after U.S. President Donald Trump hinted at tariffs on imported vehicles and parts....
US stocks were lower on Wednesday, with three major indexes slipping about 0.3%, as markets pulled back after the S&P 500 reached a record high in the previous session. Investor sentiment was weighed down by renewed concerns over trade tensions after President Donald Trump signaled he would likely impose 25% tariffs on automobile, semiconductor, and pharmaceutical imports, with an announcement expected as soon as April 2. Traders also awaited the release of the FOMC minutes later in the day for further insight into the Federal Reserve's policy outlook. In its January meeting, the...
The European stocks rally took a pause on Wednesday amid mixed earnings and after President Donald Trump's latest tariff threats stoked concern about a widening trade war. The Stoxx 600 Index fluctuated at the open after a gain of around 10% so far this year. Glencore Plc slipped after profit fell, while HSBC Holdings Plc posted better-than-expected earnings. A tech-led advance in Asia stumbled. US equity futures were steady. Trump brandished possible levies of around 25% on automobile, semiconductor and pharmaceutical imports, with an announcement...
The Hang Seng Index fell 0.1% at 22,944.24 in Hong Kong. The move follows the previous session's increase of 1.6%. Meituan contributed the most to the index decline, decreasing 3.0%. Hang Seng Bank Ltd. had the largest drop, falling 3.9%. Today, 38 of 83 shares fell, while 39 rose; 2 of 4 sectors were lower, led by commerce and industry stocks. Source: Bloomberg
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....