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...
Hong Kong stocks weakened again on Thursday as the Hang Seng remained under broad selling pressure, with most sectors closing lower. Sentiment was weighed down by a sharp dip in US futures and heavy selling in China-focused investment products, pushing investors into a more defensive stance ahead of key economic releases. The Hang Seng hovered around 26,095, down more than 1%, reflecting persistent pressure through the session. Caution also rose ahead of China's December CPI and PPI data due Friday, as deflation risks continue to linger. The uncertainty has kept traders from taking...
Japanese stocks closed lower on Thursday (January 8) after the latest data showed real wages fell in November 2025 at the fastest pace since January, mainly due to a drop in one-time bonus payments. Market sentiment was also depressed as the weakening wages emphasized household challenges amid persistently high price pressures. The Nikkei 225 Index fell 1.6%, or 844.72 points, to 51,117.26. This wage data shows that inflation continues to outpace income growth, adding to the complexity for the Bank of Japan, which plans to continue policy normalization and open up room for interest rate...
Hong Kong stocks tumbled 367 points, or 1.4%, to 26,094 in early Thursday trade, extending for a second session after Wall Street's S&P 500 and Dow Jones slipped from record highs overnight on uneven U.S. economic data. Profit-taking deepened after local markets hit an over seven-week high earlier in the week, amid growing caution ahead of China's December CPI and PPI due Friday. Geopolitical strains added pressure after Beijing banned exports of dual-use items to Japan, in retaliation for remarks on Taiwan by PM Sanae Takaichi. Losses were partly capped by Goldman Sachs's upbeat...
Asian stock markets weakened for the second consecutive day, indicating that the initial rally that had been "speedy" at the start of the year is starting to lose steam. At the same time, US government bonds (Treasuries) maintained their gains after rising in the US trading session, driven by mixed US economic data. In Asia, Japanese and South Korean stocks opened lower. In the US, global stock indexes and the S&P 500 both recorded their first declines in 2026 on Wednesday, signaling that market optimism is starting to wane. Interestingly, Samsung fell 1.5% despite reportedly seeing a...
The Japanese stock market opened lower in morning trading, as escalating diplomatic tensions between Japan and China made the market more cautious about the Japanese economy's future prospects. Selling pressure was most pronounced in the electronics and financial sectors, which were the main drivers of the index's decline. Some investors chose to reduce risk while awaiting clarity on developments in relations between the two countries. Among large stocks, Hitachi Ltd. fell around 1.5%, while Sumitomo Mitsui Financial Group fell 1.6%. These movements added to the burden on the index as both...
US stocks were mixed on Wednesday as investors weighed uneven economic data against expectations for eventual Federal Reserve easing, with the S&P 500 easing 0.2% and the Dow Jones sliding 0.8% from recent record highs, while the Nasdaq 100 gained 0.1%. JOLTS showed a sharp decline in job openings, pointing to cooling labor demand, while ADP reported a modest rebound in private hiring and the ISM Services PMI surprised to the upside, reinforcing the view of a slowing yet resilient economy. At the stock level, JPMorgan Chase and Bank of America fell more than 2%, dragging on the Dow...
European stocks were in mixed territory on Wednesday morning, as regional market jitters grow over U.S. President Donald Trump's threat to annex Greenland. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was little changed shortly after the opening bell, with sectors and major regional bourses in mixed territory. Following the U.S.′ capture and arrest of Venezuela's leader Nicolas Maduro, global market attention is swiftly turning to President Trump's intentions when it comes to Greenland, an autonomous territory of Denmark. The president and his team are considering "a range of options" in order to acquire...
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....