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...
Japanese shares are rising slightly on Friday as the yen's weakening on dovish signals from the Bank of Japan supported export-related sectors such as automakers, steel producers and shippers. The Topix Index rose 0.2% to 2,719.63 as of 9:30 a.m. Tokyo time The Nikkei advanced 0.2% to 38,880.21 Toyota Motor Corp. contributed the most to the Topix Index's gain, increasing 2.8%. Out of 2,126 stocks in the index, 1,195 rose and 775 fell, while 156 were unchanged. With key domestic and overseas monetary policy events out of the way, domestic demand-linked...
The Dow Jones Industrial Average was higher Thursday, rebounding from its 10th straight loss.The 30-stock Dow added 164 points, or 0.3%. The S&P 500gained 0.3%, alongside the Nasdaq CompositeShares of artificial intelligence darling Nvidia which weighed down the Dow in the previous session, traded 2% higher. Gains in financial stocks, including JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America led the recovery in equities Thursday alongside industrials, health care and utilities. Stocks plunged Wednesday after the Federal Reserve struck a heavy blow against the roaring bull market, signaling that it...
European markets fell sharply at the open on Thursday, following global markets lower after the U.S. Federal Reserve hinted yesterday that a small rate cut was imminent. The pan-European Stoxx 600 fell 1.26% shortly after the start of trading, with all sectors in negative territory. The lower open in Europe was anticipated following a sell-off on Wall Street on Wednesday after the Fed, which cut its overnight lending rate by 25 basis points to a target range of 4.25% to 4.5%, signaled there would likely be only two rate cuts in 2025, instead of the four cuts it had previously...
The Hang Seng fell 112 points, or 0.6%, to close at 19,753 on Thursday after an upbeat session the previous day, dragged down by broad-based declines across sectors. Investors held off on entering fresh positions after the U.S. Fed cut borrowing costs for the third time this year but warned it would slow the pace of interest rate cuts next year. Meanwhile, cautious traders awaited China's key monthly lending rate decision on Friday after it hit a record low in November. The market pared early losses, however, on a report that battery maker CATL is considering a second listing in Hong Kong...
Japanese stocks fell after the close on Thursday, as losses in the Communications, Steel and Transportation Equipment sectors led shares lower. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 was down 0.80%. The best performers on the Nikkei 225 were Nissan Motor Co., Ltd. (TYO:7201), which rose 6.51% or 27.20 points to trade at 444.80 at the close. Meanwhile, IHI Corp. (TYO:7013) gained 4.93% or 404.00 points to close at 8,604.00 and Kawasaki Heavy Industries, Ltd. (TYO:7012) gained 3.24% or 206.00 points to 6,570.00 in late trade. The worst performers on the session were Rakuten Inc (TYO:4755),...
Hong Kong stocks plunged 212 points, or 1.0%, to 19,653 in morning trade on Thursday after a big gain the previous day, pressured by a sharp drop on Wall Street overnight after the U.S. Fed cut interest rates for the third time this year, as expected, but halved the number of rate cuts anticipated for next year to two. The market was near a two-week low, with all sectors dragging down the Hang Seng Index. China Vanke Co. Its shares plunged 4.5% after Bloomberg News reported that Chinese regulators have asked the country's largest insurers to disclose their financial exposure to the troubled...
The Nikkei 225 Index fell 1% to below 38,700, while the broader Topix Index fell 0.5% to 2,706 on Thursday, hitting a three-week low. The declines mirrored a sharp selloff on Wall Street after the U.S. Federal Reserve signaled fewer interest rate cuts in 2025 than previously expected. The Fed now expects just two rate cuts next year, down from the four projected in its September outlook. Investors also remained cautious ahead of the Bank of Japan's monetary policy decision later in the day. The central bank is likely to hold off on raising interest rates as policymakers assess the latest...
Asia-Pacific markets fell on Thursday morning (19/12), tracking broad declines on Wall Street as the U.S. Federal Reserve cut its benchmark lending rate for a third straight meeting while signaling fewer rate cuts ahead. Investors in Asia are looking ahead to the Bank of Japan's interest rate decision after a two-day policy meeting. The central bank is widely expected to keep its target interest rate unchanged at 0.25%. The Japanese yen was slightly higher on Thursday morning at 154.57 against the U.S. dollar. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 fell 1.4% while the Topix fell 1.27%. In South...
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....