Gold prices extend gains, supported by expectations of further U.S. monetary easing, persistent geopolitical risks and strong investor demand. "While U.S. employment data was mixed, markets continue to see the Federal Reserve cutting its interest rates two times during the first part of 2026," says Bas Kooijman, CEO and Asset Manager of DHF Capital. Investors are now focused on November's consumer-price data due Thursday, as signs of further disinflation could push yields lower, weaken the dollar and allow gold to test fresh record highs, Kooijman said. Meanwhile, geopolitical fears drive...
European stocks closed slightly higher on Friday (September 19th) as strength in the heavyweight financial sector offset mixed movements elsewhere, while markets continued to assess key monetary policy decisions for the week. The Eurozone STOXX 50 rose 0.2% to 5,467, and the pan-European STOXX 600 was flat at 555. The Bank of Japan kept interest rates unchanged as expected but surprised markets by announcing plans to begin unwinding its massive holdings of exchange-traded funds (ETFs). Traders also monitored a phone call between U.S. and Chinese Presidents Trump and Xi, with both leaders...
US equities were higher on Friday, extending momentum after the three major benchmarks notched fresh record closes in the previous session. For the week, the S&P 500 and Dow Jones are each up 0.7%, while the Nasdaq has gained 1.5% so far, supported by the Fed's first rate cut of the year and expectations of further easing in 2025. Traders also monitored a call between President Trump and President Xi for potential updates on trade negotiations. Meanwhile, a $5 trillion quarterly triple-witching options expiry takes place today, although volatility is expected to remain limited. Consumer...
The Hang Seng ended flat at 26,545 on Friday, as gains in tech and consumer stocks offset losses in financials and property. The index reversed early gains ahead of talks between China's leader Xi Jinping and U.S. President Trump today. Meanwhile, traders digested news that developer DeepSeek trained its new model with costs well below those reported by U.S. rivals. On the mainland, stocks dropped further after the PBoC signaled no urgency to ease policy despite weak August output. Meantime, U.S. futures were subdued after Thursday's Fed-driven rally amid a shift toward an easing...
The STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 hovered near the flatline on Friday as investors digested a week filled with monetary policy decisions. The Bank of Japan left interest rates unchanged as expected but surprised markets by announcing plans to begin unwinding its massive exchange-traded fund holdings. Traders also monitored a call between US President Trump and Chinese President Xi for signals on trade negotiations. On the corporate side, SAP (-0.9%) and ASML Holding (-1%) slipped into the red, while Airbus (+1.7%) and Banco Santander (+0.6%) posted gains. Source: Trading Economics
Japanese shares fell on Friday after the BOJ kept short-term rates at 0.5% but revealed two dissenting votes for a hike and moved to sell its ETF and REIT holdings. The Nikkei 225 fell 0.58%, or 264.26 points, to end at 45,039.17. The BOJ will sell about 330 billion yen in ETFs and 5 billion yen in J-REITs annually, around 0.05% of market turnover, and scrap its ETF lending facility. It said Japan's economy is recovering moderately, though exports and output are flat, housing investment is weak, and U.S. tariffs are squeezing manufacturers. Core CPI stands at 2.5-3.0% on higher food...
The Hang Seng Index started the day with a 38-point rise to 26,583 points but later retreated, currently down by 88 points or 0.33%, standing at 26,456 points. The H-share index dropped by 21 points or 0.22% to 9,435 points, while the technology index fell by 19 points or 0.3% to 6,251 points. The main board saw a turnover of 500 billion yuan. In the tech sector, there is a general softness observed as Tencent dropped by 0.3%, Alibaba by 0.8%, Meituan by 0.4%, Xiaomi Group by 1.9%, JD.com rose by 1.7%, and Kuaishou declined by 2.9%. Financial stocks are trending downwards with HSBC...
The Nikkei 225 Index climbed 0.9% to around 46,570 while the broader Topix Index advanced 0.8% to 3,185 on Friday, with Japanese equities hitting fresh all-time highs as investors awaited the Bank of Japan's policy decision, where rates are expected to remain unchanged. Still, markets are pricing in a possible 25 basis point hike in October amid signs of resilience in the economy. Investors also assessed data showing Japan's core inflation rose 2.7% in August, easing for the third straight month to the lowest since November 2024. Japanese stocks also mirrored Wall Street's rally, with the...
Asian stocks were on the cusp of an intraday record high after US and global equity benchmarks hit fresh peaks, as the Federal Reserve's interest-rate cut bolstered sentiment. Stocks in Japan and Australia opened higher while South Korea was flat. The S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, Dow Jones Industrial Average and Russell 2000 small-cap index all closed together at fresh highs for the first time since November 2021. An MSCI index of global stocks also closed at a record in a sign of robust risk appetite. The yen was steady after Japan's...
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....