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...
Producer prices in Japan increased by 3.8% yoy in December 2024, keeping the same pace as in the previous month and aligning with market consensus. It was the 46th straight month of producer inflation, remaining at its highest level since June 2023, as cost continued to grow for transport equipment (1.7% vs 1.6% in November), beverages & foods (1.9% vs 2.1%), iron & steel (-0.1% vs -0.1%), electrical machinery (4.7% vs 4.1%), production machinery (1.8% vs 1.4%), general-purpose machinery (4.3% vs 4.3%), metal products (3.8% vs 4.0%), other manufacturing (3.6% vs 3.8%), plastics (3.6%...
U.S. stocks surged on Wednesday, with all three major indexes registering their biggest daily percentage gains in more than two months, as lower-than-expected December core inflation data and solid earnings from major U.S. banks fueled a rally. The Labor Department said the consumer price index (CPI) increased the most in nine months as energy costs rose, although a measure of underlying inflation pressures subsided. Data on Tuesday showed the producer price index (PPI) rose less than expected. According to preliminary data, the S&P 500 gained 106.45 points, or 1.82%, to end at...
European markets closed higher on Wednesday as investors assessed cooler-than-expected inflation prints from the U.S. and U.K. The pan-European Stoxx 600 closed 1.3% higher, snapping a three-day losing streak and clocking its best performance since August 2024. All sectors were in the green, led by retail stocks, which rose 2.7%. London's FTSE 100 gained 1.2% and U.K. government bond yields dropped sharply after official data showed U.K. inflation fell to 2.5% in December. Economists polled by Reuters had anticipated the reading would remain unchanged from the 2.6% print of November. The...
Wall Street's main indexes opened higher on Wednesday, as data showed core inflation rose less than expected in December and investors cheered a strong batch of quarterly results from the biggest U.S. banks. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 409.5 points, or 0.96%, at the open to 42,927.76. The S&P 500 rose 62.3 points, or 1.07%, at the open to 5,905.21, while the Nasdaq Composite rose 305.9 points, or 1.61%, to 19,350.313 at the opening bell. Source: Reuters
European stock markets rose on Wednesday (15/1), ahead of the release of highly influential monthly U.S. inflation data, after U.K. consumer prices showed signs of easing. At 3:05 a.m. ET (08:05 GMT), Germany's DAX index was up 0.3%, France's CAC 40 was up 0.3% and the U.K.'s FTSE 100 jumped 0.7%. Investors are awaiting the release of fresh U.S. consumer price data, later in the session, as it could potentially change expectations for future monetary policy from the Federal Reserve. Markets have pushed expectations for the Fed's next interest rate cut into June after an unexpectedly strong...
Japanese stocks rose after the close of trading on Wednesday, as gains in the Transportation Equipment, Chemicals, Petroleum & Plastics, and Insurance sectors boosted shares. At the close of trading in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.09% to hit a fresh 1-month low. The best performers on the Nikkei 225 were Fanuc Corp. (TYO:6954), which rose 5.67% or 235.00 points to trade at 4,378.00 at the close of trading. Meanwhile, Toho Co., Ltd. (TYO:9602) rose 4.59% or 278.00 points to close at 6,329.00 and Keyence (TYO:6861) rose 3.75% or 2,330.00 points to 64,450.00 at the close of trading. The...
European markets are heading for a positive open Wednesday as traders await the latest U.S. inflation data that will inform the Federal Reserve's decision-making on interest rate cuts. The U.K.'s FTSE 100 index is expected to open 25 points higher at 8,221, Germany's DAX up 20 points at 20,279, France's CAC up 15 points at 7,439 and Italy's FTSE MIB up 51 points at 35,218, according to data from IG. Trading updates are set to come from Experian and Hays on Wednesday, while data releases in focus are the latest U.K. inflation figures and German full-year gross domestic product. Global...
The Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.1% to around 38,510, while the broader Topix Index climbed 0.5% to 2,695 on Wednesday, snapping a four-day losing streak. The gains came after softer-than-expected US producer inflation data provided some relief for equities. However, investors remained cautious ahead of the US consumer inflation data, which could influence the Federal Reserve's monetary policy outlook. In Japan, a private survey revealed a rebound in manufacturer sentiment for January, driven mainly by improved conditions in materials industries. At the same time, speculation is growing that the...
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....