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...
Japanese stocks surged nearly 3% in early trading Monday after pro-stimulus politician Sanae Takaichi won the Liberal Democratic Party leadership election. This victory paves the way for Takaichi to become Japan's first female prime minister and fueled market optimism over the potential for increased fiscal spending and economic stimulus. The yen weakened 1.2% against the dollar, approaching the 150 level—a key psychological point for the foreign exchange market. Meanwhile, Japanese bond yields are expected to rise due to expectations of increased debt issuance under Takaichi's leadership....
The S&P 500 closed mostly flat on Friday, the Dow Jones extended its record run, rising 240 points finisheing at 46,758 after briefly surpassing 47,000 during the session, while the Nasdaq slipped 0.3% as the US government shutdown entered its third day. Pressure came from major technology names, with Palantir Technologies leading the S&P 500 lower, dropping 7.5%, while Tesla and Nvidia fell 1.4% and 0.7%, respectively. Applied Materials declined 2.7% after warning of a $600 million revenue hit tied to semiconductor export restrictions. Investors focused on the shutdown, which...
European stocks closed mostly higher to extend the positive momentum this week on strength in healthcare and luxury brands. The Eurozone's STOXX 50 inched higher to 5,651 and the pan-European STOXX 600 rose 0.5% to 570, both at record highs. Sanofi, Novo Nordisk, Merck, and UCB rose more than 2%, extending their surge this week after the US Presidential Administration signaled that tariffs on pharmaceutical goods may be less aggressive than feared, while allowing patients to buy discounted prescription drugs through a new federal website. Luxury giants were also higher as markets assessed...
Wall Street's main indexes opened higher on Friday as optimism about an imminent interest-rate cut by the Federal Reserve boosted sentiment in the final trading session of a week that saw volatility due to the U.S. government shutdown. The Dow Jones Industrial Average (.DJI), opens new tab rose 64.2 points, or 0.14%, at the open to 46,583.95. The S&P 500 (.SPX), opens new tab rose 6.8 points, or 0.10%, at the open to 6,722.14, while the Nasdaq Composite (.IXIC), opens new tab rose 42.1 points, or 0.18%, to 22,886.157. Source: Reuters.com
The Hang Seng Index weakened 146 points, or 0.5%, to close at 27,141 on Friday (October 3), retreating from a four-year high after three sessions of gains, as traders took profits following five consecutive months of gains since May. Sentiment was also impacted by concerns over the US government shutdown, which has halted much official activity, including the jobs report originally due today, with markets bracing for a shutdown that could last until next week. Trading was also sluggish as mainland Chinese markets remain closed until October 8. The decline was broad-based, with technology...
European stocks extended gains on Friday, with the STOXX 50 up 0.4% and the STOXX 600 rising 0.3% to fresh record highs, as optimism around artificial intelligence continued to buoy global investor sentiment. Momentum was further supported by news of fresh industry alliances - Hitachi teaming up with OpenAI and Fujitsu partnering with Nvidia. At the same time, investors monitored developments around the US federal government shutdown, though its market impact has so far remained limited. Among sectors, basic resources, banks, autos, and financial services led the gains, while technology...
The Nikkei 225 jumped 1.85% to close at 45,769, while the broader Topix rose 1.35% to 3,129 on Friday, with the Nikkei finishing at a fresh record as enthusiasm for artificial intelligence drove Japanese chip stocks higher. Sentiment was lifted after OpenAI's $6.6 billion share sale valued the firm at $500 billion, fueling optimism across AI-related sectors. Hitachi surged 10.3% on reports of a partnership with OpenAI, while SoftBank Group (+3.6%), Advantest (+4.3%) and Tokyo Electron (+2.3%) also posted strong gains. Politically, investors prepared for a pivotal ruling party leadership...
The Hong Kong stock market opened lower today. The Hang Seng Index fell 65 points, or 0.24%, to close at 27,221. The China Enterprises Index also fell 0.31%, while the technology index weakened 0.44%. Technology stocks showed mixed movements - Tencent and Alibaba recorded slight gains, while JD.com and Kuaishou experienced declines. Meituan and Xiaomi saw no price changes. In the financial sector, stock movements were also mixed. HSBC fell 1.1%, while stocks like AIA Group and the Hong Kong Stock Exchange were unchanged. In the automotive sector, most stocks moved lower. BYD, XPeng, and Li...
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....