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...
The S&P 500 closed lower Wednesday after easing from intraday record high as the Federal Reserve cut interest rates, though cooled expectations about the certainty of further rate cuts ahead. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 73 points, or 0.2%, the S&P 500 index closed marginally lower, and the NASDAQ Composite gained 0.6%. The Federal Reserve cut interest rates by 25 basis points on Wednesday for the second time this year, citing concerns about a softening labor market. The central bank also said it would stop reducing the size of its balance sheet as soon as December,...
European stocks weakened slightly on Wednesday (October 29, 2025), after several consecutive days of record highs. The STOXX 600 index fell by around -0.3% to 576 points, while the STOXX 50 also corrected from its peak. Investors chose to hold positions while awaiting key data and policy decisions from the Federal Reserve (The Fed). The pharmaceutical sector was one of the laggards, with shares of giants like Novartis plunging by around -4.3% after underwhelming financial results. On the other hand, stocks like HSBC and Nokia actually saw a surge—HSBC rose by around 4.4% after raising its...
Japan's blue-chip Nikkei 225 index rallied to a new high thanks to a positive earnings report from chip equipment maker Advantest and a new Japan-US investment plan that boosted tech stocks. However, exporters such as automakers weighed on the broader Topix index, as the yen's strength against the US dollar dampened market sentiment. The Nikkei rose 2.2% to 51,307.65, an all-time high, at the close in Tokyo. The Topix index fell 0.2% to 3,278.24. Of the 1,671 stocks in the index, 204 rose and 1,447 fell, while 20 were unchanged. Advantest was the Nikkei's best performer, rising 22%, the...
Japanese stocks surged strongly. The Nikkei 225 index rose around 1.3% to near 50,900 on Wednesday, briefly setting a new record. Japanese market sentiment was also influenced by the tech rally on Wall Street, where artificial intelligence (AI) euphoria remains a key driver. Nvidia soared again after CEO Jensen Huang announced a series of new partnerships and dismissed the "AI bubble" issue. Japanese stocks close to the AI and chip supply chain also surged, including big names like Advantest, SoftBank Group, Lasertec, Fujikura, and Disco Corp. Japanese investors are also positioning...
Asian stock markets opened higher on Wednesday (October 29th), buoyed by positive sentiment from Wall Street. Investors are confident that the artificial intelligence (AI) trend can continue to drive profits for major tech companies, while bets are growing that the Fed will cut interest rates. Japanese and South Korean stocks rose, while Hong Kong was closed. In the US, the S&P 500 edged higher, but shares of tech giants—the "Magnificent Seven"—continued to rally, rising around 1.3%. The US dollar weakened for a third straight day, oil remained weak due to signs of oversupply, and gold...
European stocks closed slightly lower on Tuesday after reaching record peaks on the previous session on mixed earnings results, while markets continued to assess the outlook on global trade and European rates. The STOXX 50 inched down by 5,701 and the STOXX 600 lost 03% to 576. Pharmaceutical companies led the losses in the session with a 4.3% slump for Novartis after the Swiss giant posted softer earnings than expected. Roche and Novo Nordisk both fell 2.5% In the meantime, BNP Paribas fell 3.5%, also on an earnings miss. On the other hand, HSBC jumped 4.4% after raising its 2025...
Wall Street's main indexes opened at record highs on Tuesday after upbeat forecasts from companies such as UnitedHealth and UPS, while Apple (AAPL.O), opens new tab topped $4 trillion in market value for the first time, boosted by strong demand for its latest iPhone models. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI), opens new tab rose 207.8 points, or 0.44%, at the open to 47,752.35. The S&P 500 (.SPX), opens new tab rose 22.6 points, or 0.33%, at the open to 6,897.74, while the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC), opens new tab rose 129.0 points, or 0.55%, to 23,766.463 at the opening...
The Hang Seng fell 87 points, or 0.3%, to finish at 26,346 on Tuesday, reversing three consecutive sessions of gains as U.S. futures pointed to a lower open on Wall Street following Monday's rally. Mainland stocks also eased after six straight sessions of strength, retreating from a decade high ahead of official October PMI data and amid growing doubts over the durability of the recent easing in U.S.-China trade tensions. Hong Kong's consumer and tech sectors weighed on the index, with steep losses from Zijin Gold Intl. (-4.5%), Anta Sports (-4.2%), China Hongqiao Group (-3.7%), and Xiaomi...
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....