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...
US stocks edged lower on Tuesday (September 16th) as investors took profits ahead of the Federal Reserve's highly anticipated September policy meeting. The S&P 500 fell 0.1%, the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 125 points, and the Nasdaq Composite closed slightly below the flatline. Leading technology stocks including Nvidia, Microsoft, Alphabet, and Palantir declined, while financial and utility stocks also weighed on the overall market. Traders widely expect the Fed to cut interest rates by 25 basis points on Wednesday, marking its first rate cut since December, with the market...
European stocks closed sharply lower on Tuesday, pressured by aggressive losses in the financial sector as markets continued to assess the global interest rate outlook. The STOXX 50 fell 1.3% to 5,372, and the pan-European STOXX 600 fell 1.2% to 551. Traders were cautious ahead of this week's key monetary policy decisions from the Fed and the Bank of England, as well as Sino-US trade talks, while US President Trump began his visit to the UK today. Data-wise, the ZEW Economic Sentiment Index for Germany surprisingly showed an uptick, while UK employment data continued to indicate a slowdown...
The S&P 500 and the Nasdaq each gained 0.1% on Tuesday, setting fresh record highs after closing at all-time peaks in the previous session. The Dow Jones, however, hovered near the flatline. Investors stayed focused on the FOMC meeting, which begins today, with the Fed widely expected to deliver a 25bps rate cut tomorrow. On the data front, both retail sales and industrial production surprised to the upside, while export and import prices also exceeded forecasts. Still, the figures did little to alter market expectations for Fed policy. By sector, energy outperformed, while utilities and...
The Hang Seng ended little changed on Tuesday, hovering around 26,438 after dipping earlier in the session. Another record close on Wall Street Monday supported sentiment, as bets grew that the Fed will resume its easing cycle this week and leave the door open to further cuts. Strength in tech and consumer stocks helped offset weakness in property and financials, while traders digested a framework deal between the US and China to place TikTok under US-controlled ownership, with final approval expected in a Friday call between President Trump and Xi Jinping. The index tracked mainland...
European stocks traded in a muted fashion Tuesday, awaiting news from the Federal Reserve policy meeting while digesting key regional economic data. The DAX index in Germany dropped 0.1%, the CAC 40 in France slipped 0.2% and the FTSE 100 in the U.K. fell 0.1%. Fed meeting starts The Fed starts its latest two-day policy meeting later in the session, limiting activity as investors look for the U.S. central bank to cut interest rates at the conclusion on Wednesday, potentially offering global support. The Bank of England also meets later this week, but is widely expected to hold still on...
European stocks edged lower on Tuesday, with both the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 slipping 0.2%, pausing after three straight sessions of gains. Traders turned cautious ahead of key monetary policy decisions this week from the Fed and the BoE, as well as China–US trade talks, while US President Trump begins his visit to the UK today. On the data front, markets await the ZEW Economic Sentiment Index for Germany, while UK labour figures continued to signal a slowdown in the job market. By sector, insurance, telecoms and banks led the declines, while basic resources and technology outperformed. In...
The Nikkei 225 rose 0.3% to close at 44,902 while the Topix gained 0.25% to 3,168 on Tuesday, with Japanese stocks hitting fresh record highs as they tracked Wall Street's advance ahead of an expected US Federal Reserve rate cut. Sentiment was also lifted after President Donald Trump said US-China trade talks in Spain were progressing, with a call between Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping scheduled for Friday to finalize terms. Domestically, the Bank of Japan is expected to keep its policy rate at 0.5% this week as officials weigh the impact of US tariffs on Japan's export-driven...
The Hang Seng Index started the day with a rise of 90 points, or 0.34%, to 26,536. The China Enterprises Index gained 23 points, or 0.24%, to close at 9,407, while the Tech Index climbed 27 points, or 0.44%, to 6,070. Technology stocks displayed mixed results. Tencent rose by 0.5%, Meituan gained 0.6%, Xiaomi Group increased 0.5%, and Kuaishou advanced 0.6%. Meanwhile, Alibaba dropped 0.3% and JD.com fell by 0.6%. Financial stocks performed strongly, with HSBC Holdings up 0.2%, AIA Group gaining 2%, Ping An Insurance rising 0.1%, and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing climbing 0.3%. Source...
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....