Gold prices fell on Tuesday (December 16th), as investors became more cautious ahead of crucial US jobs and inflation data, which could provide clues to Federal Reserve policy heading into the new year. Spot gold prices fell 0.3% to $4,290.33 an ounce, as of 06:37 GMT. Bullion has gained 64% since the start of the year, breaking several records along the way. US gold futures fell 0.4% to $4,316.40. "We're right near the previous high around $4,380 from mid-October. So the market is essentially asking whether there's enough conviction to break higher, or whether this is the level where...
The Nikkei 225 index closed higher on Thursday (October 31, 2025), driven by strong gains in technology and electronics stocks. Positive sentiment emerged after the Bank of Japan maintained its policy interest rate, while a weaker yen boosted the profit prospects of export-based issuers. Large-cap stocks, including chip, electronics, and internet stocks, led the gains. Investors also assessed the easing of US-China trade tensions following the Trump-Xi meeting, which boosted risk appetite despite not providing long-term certainty. Overall, the Nikkei closed up around 1% and held at 52.4....
The Hang Seng Index opened slightly lower by 0.07% to 26,263 on Friday (October 31st), moving flat after a 0.2% decline in the previous session to 26,283. This cautious movement occurred amid mixed sentiment: some technology stocks weakened, while the market digested news of a US-China trade truce that had not yet fully boosted risk appetite. Data-wise, China's manufacturing PMI contracted again in October, signaling continued pressure on the factory sector and curbing the Hong Kong stock market rally. Meanwhile, Asian market analysts noted that regional stocks are likely to strengthen this...
Asia-Pacific markets opened mostly higher on Friday, with Japan's Nikkei 225 rising more than 1% to a new record, as investors reacted positively to the truce between Washington and Beijing following a meeting between U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping. The two leaders reached a trade deal in their high-stakes meeting in South Korea on Thursday, easing tensions over rare earth elements that had threatened to escalate into a full-blown trade war. "Both sides appear to be preserving leverage for future negotiations by using these measures as bargaining chips," said...
Japanese stocks are higher as the yen weakens sharply following the Bank of Japan's decision to keep its policy rate unchanged on Thursday. Tech and electronics stocks are leading gains. SoftBank Group is up 2.6% and Sony Group is 3.0% higher. USD/JPY is at 153.89, up sharply from 153.04 as of Thursday's Tokyo stock market close. Investors are closely watching any progress in Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's policy steps to boost the economy. The Nikkei Stock Average is up 1.0% at 51826.46. Source: Bloomberg
Both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 closed 0.2% lower on Thursday as investors weighed central bank actions, corporate earnings, and mixed economic data. The ECB kept rates unchanged for a third consecutive meeting, noting that the inflation outlook remains broadly stable, while the Fed cut rates again but cautioned that further easing in December is not guaranteed. On the data front, Eurozone GDP grew 0.2% in Q3, exceeding expectations, though performance across major economies was uneven, with France and Spain posting strong growth, while Germany and Italy stagnated. Among corporates,...
Stocks were lower Thursday as investors digested a batch of Big Tech earnings, while a meeting between President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping concluded. The Dow Jones Industrial Average shed 131 points, or 0.3%. The S&P 500 dipped 0.6%. The Nasdaq Composite dropped 0.8%. Megacap tech giants Alphabet, Meta and Microsoft each reported quarterly results after market close Wednesday. While Alphabet shares popped about 4% on the back of strong results, shares of Meta and Microsoft tumbled about 12% and nearly 2%, respectively. Investors grew worried about the increased...
The Hang Seng Index fell 63 points, or 0.2%, to 26,283 on Thursday (October 30th), reversing early gains and marking its second consecutive session of declines. Sentiment turned cautious despite China's Ministry of Commerce stating that Beijing and Washington had agreed to extend their temporary trade truce for another year following a meeting between US Presidents Trump and Xi Jinping in South Korea. Traders noted that significant gaps remain, with a partial tariff rollback unlikely to help struggling Chinese exporters or reverse weak domestic consumer demand. Caution also grew ahead of...
European stocks moved mixed on Thursday. Germany's DAX edged higher, while France's CAC 40 and the UK's FTSE 100 fell. The market digested corporate earnings reports, easing global trade tensions, growth data, and awaited the ECB's rate decision, which is expected to remain unchanged. In the US, the Fed cut interest rates by 25 basis points and will stop shrinking its balance sheet starting December 1, but Powell's cautious comments left the market uncertain about further cuts in December. On the corporate side, Shell posted a jump in third-quarter 2025 profit to USD 5.3 billion thanks to...
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....