Gold prices hit an all-time high on Monday (October 6), surging above $3,900 an ounce, as investors flocked to safe-haven assets amid the US government shutdown, broader economic uncertainty, and the prospect of further Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. Spot gold rose 1.4% to $3,940.04 an ounce, as of 11:08 GMT, after reaching $3,949.34 earlier in the session. US gold futures for December delivery rose 1.4% to $3,964.50. Washington will begin mass layoffs of federal workers if US President Donald Trump decides negotiations with Democratic lawmakers to end the partial government shutdown...
The Hang Seng Index surged 327 points, or 1.3%, to close at 24,825 on Friday (July 18th), reversing two days of declines as all sectors rallied. The index hit a four-month high and rose 2.8% for the week, marking its second consecutive weekly gain. Strong momentum in mainland Chinese stocks boosted sentiment after Beijing pledged to curb massive price gouging by Chinese companies. Hong Kong's tech index jumped 1.7%, boosted by optimism after Nvidia said it would increase the supply of H20 chips that meet Chinese standards and introduce more advanced chips to the market. Solid gains also...
The STOXX 50 gained 0.4% and the STOXX 600 rose 0.3% on Friday, as investors closely monitored corporate earnings and news, while staying on edge for any signs of progress in trade negotiations between the US and the European Union. Reckitt Benckiser was up 1.9% after agreeing to sell its essential home business unit to Advent International for $4.8 billion. Vivendi soared more than 10% after a French financial market advisor concluded that a mandatory takeover bid for Vivendi by Bollore is required. Also, Burberry edged up 0.3% after its quarterly sales topped forecasts and shares of Saab...
The Nikkei 225 fell 0.2% to close at 39,819 on Friday, while the broader Topix also declined 0.2% to 2,834, erasing early gains from the morning session. The Nikkei reversed a modest gain from the previous day in choppy trading, as investors stayed cautious ahead of this weekend's Upper House election. Uncertainty surrounding trade negotiations with the US also weighed on sentiment ahead of the August deadline, especially after disappointing June trade data revealed a sharp drop in shipments to the US. However, softer inflation figures helped cap the losses, raising hopes that the Bank of...
The Hang Seng Index opened 258 points higher, or 1.05%, reaching 24,757 points. The National Enterprises Index rose by 92 points, or 1.04%, to 8,945 points, while the Technology Index increased by 71 points, or 1.3%, to 5,520 points. Tech stocks performed strongly, with Tencent up by 1.5%, Alibaba rising by 2.4%, Meituan increasing by 1.8%, Xiaomi gaining 0.6%, and Kuaishou advancing by 1.7%. Automotive stocks surged, with BYD up by 1.2%, Geely rising by 1.4%, NIO soaring by 7.3%, Xiaopeng Motors gaining 1.1%, and Li Auto rising by 1%. Financial stocks also provided support to the market,...
Australian equities notched a record high as Asia-Pacific markets tracked Wall Street gains on the back of strong U.S. economic data reports and a slew of better-than-expected corporate earnings. Australia stock markets climb to record high Australia's S&P/ASX 200 climbed 0.58% to a record high of 8,689.4 during early trading hours. Year-to-date, the benchmark index as risen 6.62%, data from LSEG showed. Index heavyweights like mining giant BHP and Rio Tinto are up 1.7% and 1.32% respectively. Biotech firm CSL is up over 1.7%. Asia markets open Friday trading in the green Asia...
The Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.3% to 40,034, while the broader Topix Index also climbed 0.3% to 2,847 during Friday morning trading, marking the second straight session of gains. The advance followed a rally on Wall Street on Thursday, supported by upbeat corporate earnings and strong US economic data. The Nikkei reached its highest level in over two weeks, as recent trade agreements between the US and both Vietnam and Indonesia continued to boost investor sentiment. Traders largely shrugged off a statement from US President Donald Trump, who reiterated his intention to impose a 25% tariff on...
US stocks advanced on Thursday, supported by upbeat earnings and solid economic data as markets brushed aside lingering concerns over President Trump's criticism of the Fed and renewed tariff threats. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 rose 0.5% and 0.8%, respectively both notching new record highs while the Dow Jones gained over 200 points, or 0.5%. Retail sales rebounded by 0.6% in June, beating expectations, and weekly jobless claims dropped to 221,000, the lowest level in three months, highlighting consumer resilience. United Airlines and PepsiCo led earnings-driven gains, with shares...
S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 futures edged up 0.1% and 0.2%, respectively, on Thursday morning (July 17), while the Dow Jones Industrial Average remained flat. What caused this? Investors were digesting a series of new economic data from the US, which suggested the economy remains quite strong. This increase reflects market caution in responding to mixed sentiment, from economic strength to major corporate earnings reports. Released data showed that US retail sales rose 0.6% in June, well above market expectations of 0.1%. Meanwhile, jobless claims fell to 221,000, indicating a still-solid...
Gold (XAU/USD) is extending its decline on Wednesday for a second consecutive day as the US Dollar (USD) and US Treasury yields firm ahead of the release of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC)...
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....