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 STOXX 50 was down 0.6% and the STOXX 600 slipped 0.3% on Wednesday, as investors focused on a fresh wave of corporate earnings. ASML Holding shares tumbled more than 6% after the company warned of no growth potential in 2026, citing macroeconomic and geopolitical uncertainties, including the risk of tariffs on new systems and parts shipped to the US and potential retaliatory measures from other countries. Despite these concerns, ASML beat Q2 estimates on both revenue and earnings. Other notable decliners included AstraZeneca (-1.3%), Siemens Energy (-1.9%), and Mercedes-Benz...
The Nikkei 225 edged down 0.04% to close at 39,663, while the broader Topix fell 0.21% to 2,819 on Wednesday, as investor caution grew ahead of Japan's upcoming Upper House election. Markets remain on edge over the potential for major fiscal shifts, including speculation that the government could reduce or abolish the sales tax. Such moves have fueled a rise in Japanese government bond yields, driven by concerns over increased borrowing costs. Adding to the uncertainty, investors continued to monitor evolving trade tensions after US President Donald Trump flagged possible tariffs on...
The Hang Seng Index opened higher today, rising 113 points or 0.46% to 24,704. The China Enterprises Index gained 49 points or 0.56% to 8,927, while the Tech Index climbed 48 points or 0.88% to 5,479. Technology stocks were the main drivers of the market, with Tencent up 0.4%, Alibaba gaining 1.9%, Meituan increasing 1.2%, Xiaomi advancing 0.9%, and Kuaishou rising 1.6%. Financial stocks saw mixed performance. HSBC Holdings remained flat, AIA Group rose 0.4%, Ping An Insurance fell 0.1%, and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing added 0.2%. Pop Mart shares showed slight movement after issuing...
Asia-Pacific markets fell after U.S. President Donald Trump said Tuesday that he had struck a preliminary trade agreement with Indonesia, which will impose a 19% tariff on the country's exports to the U.S. Indonesia's central bank is set to release its policy decision later in the day. President Donald Trump on Tuesday said he reached a preliminary trade deal with Indonesia, which will set a 19% tariff on the Southeast Asian country's U.S. exports. "We will pay no tariffs. So they are giving us access into Indonesia, which we never had," Trump told reporters outside the White...
The Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.1% to around 39,716 while broader Topix Index fell 0.4% to 2,815 on Wednesday, with Japanese shares showing mixed performance as investors reacted to the latest trade developments. US President Donald Trump announced on Tuesday that he had reached a preliminary trade agreement with Indonesia, which will set a 19% tariff on the country's exports to the US. Domestically, data showed that sentiment among Japanese manufacturers improved slightly in July driven largely by a rebound in the semiconductor sector, despite lingering concerns over US trade...
The Dow Jones Industrial Average (DJIA) fumbled on Tuesday, losing enough ground to knock the megacap index back below the previous week's close, but still holding onto near-term consolidation levels. US Consumer Price Index (CPI) inflation showed price pressures are still on the wrong side of Federal Reserve (Fed) targets, knocking investor hopes for a summer rate cut even further back. US CPI inflation rose through the tail end of the second quarter. Despite the figures mostly keeping in line with or beating median forecasts, investors are still feeling the pressure from rising price...
European stocks erased early gains and closed mostly lower on Tuesday as markets continued to assess how potential tariffs from the US may hurt European businesses. The STOXX 50 closed 0.3% lower at 5,358 and the STOXX 600 fell 0.4% to close at 545. US President Trump had previously announced a 30% tariff on imports from the European Union starting August 1st, prompting the bloc to continue to seek a trade agreement. EU officials recently stated that a deal is still being negotiated to avoid tariffs, but a retaliation package is being prepared regardless, which may tariff up to€72 billion...
The S&P 500 rose 0.4% and the Nasdaq rallied 0.8% on Tuesday (July 15), while the Dow Jones Industrial Average hovered around the flatline, as the latest CPI report reinforced speculation that the Fed has room to cut interest rates this year. Headline inflation rose in line with forecasts, both annually and monthly. However, core inflation came in lower than expected for both measures, suggesting that underlying price pressures, particularly those related to recently imposed tariffs, remain contained for now. Meanwhile, Nvidia shares jumped nearly 5% after the company announced plans...
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....