Oil prices edged higher on Friday (July 18th), heading for a slight weekly loss, as investors weighed new EU sanctions against Russia. Brent crude futures rose 50 cents, or 0.72%, to $70.02 a barrel at 09:12 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures rose 61 cents, or 0.9%, to $68.15 a barrel. At those levels, the contracts were headed for marginal weekly losses of 0.5% and 0.4%, respectively. Investors were weighing the potential impact on global oil balances of the European Union's agreement on an 18th package of sanctions against Russia over its war in Ukraine, which includes...
The Nikkei 225 Index plunged 3.6% toward 31,800 while the broader Topix Index tumbled 2.9% to 2,362 on Wednesday, giving back gains from the previous session and tracking losses on Wall Street overnight as US President Donald Trump's new tariffs are set to come into effect later today. That would include a 24% tariff on Japanese goods and a 25% levy on car imports to the US. Meanwhile, Trump said that Japan is sending a team to negotiate on trade with the US, while Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba revealed that he told Trump in a phone call to rethink his tariff policies. Financial and...
Asia-Pacific markets fell on Wednesday as investors brace themselves for U.S. President Donald Trump's country-specific tariffs that are set to come into effect midnight stateside. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 slid 1.06%. Japan's Nikkei 225 lost 3.14%, while the Topix traded 3.26% lower. South Korea's Kospi edged 0.18% lower while the small-cap Kosdaq lost 0.44%. Hong Kong's Hang Seng Index fell 3.86%, while the Hang Seng Tech Index declined 5.42%.Additional tariffs will take effect just after U.S. midnight, adding to the 10% baseline duty that was already implemented on Saturday. Chinese...
The S&P 500 closed below 5,000 for the first time in nearly a year after a strong start to the session on Tuesday, amid growing concerns about a global trade war as the Trump administration prepares to raise tariffs on China at midnight. At 4:00 p.m. ET (21:00 GMT), the Dow Jones Industrial Average was down 320 points, or 0.8%, the S&P 500 was down 2% to close at 4,987.76 and the Nasdaq Composite was down 2.2%. The S&P 500, which rose about 4.1% at its high on the day, closed below 5,000 for the first time since April 19, 2024. Global trade war fears mount as tariffs on China...
European stock markets closed sharply higher in Tuesday trading as the Stoxx Europe 600 advanced 2.72%, Germany's DAX rose 2.48%, the FTSE 100 in London climbed 2.71%, France's CAC 40 increased 2.50%, and the Swiss Market Index surged 2.82%. US President Donald Trump rejected a European Union proposal to eliminate tariffs on bilateral trade in industrial goods, which means a 20% tariff on all EU imports will take effect Wednesday, Bloomberg reported Tuesday. Trump criticized European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen's offer as insufficient to reset the transatlantic trading...
Major U.S. stock indexes rallied more than 3% on Tuesday, snapping a three-day losing streak marked by heightened volatility, as investor sentiment improved on hopes of progress in U.S. tariff negotiations. The S&P 500 surged 3.1%, the Dow Jones soared by 1,300 points (3.5%), and the Nasdaq rose 3.2%. The rebound followed comments from Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent, who disclosed that roughly 70 countries, including Japan, have reached out to the White House to initiate tariff talks. Despite the market optimism, U.S.-China tensions remained elevated. Beijing reiterated its resolve to...
The Hang Seng surged 299 points or 1.5% to close at 20,128 on Tuesday, partly rebounding from Monday's historic 13.2% fall, the steepest one-day loss since 2008. Gains were broad-based, led by tech and consumers, as hopes emerged that Washington might ease its tariff stance. In response to recent market turmoil, China moved state-owned firms and listed companies to help calm sentiment. Chinese financial regulator also plans to raise equity asset cap for some insurers by about 5%, aiming at channeling more long-term capital into stocks and supporting the economy. However, the index trimmed...
European markets moved higher at the open on Tuesday, reversing course from a four-day losing streak fuelled by red-hot global tariff tensions. The regional Stoxx 600 index was around 1% higher shortly after the opening bell, with almost every sector and all major bourses in positive territory. The index ended Monday's session around 4.5% lower, marking its lowest closing level since January 2024. Key regional indices including the U.K.'s FTSE 100, the German DAX and France's CAC 40 also all closed sharply lower. Global equity markets have been rocked by the frequent updates around U.S....
Japanese equities surged on Tuesday, with the Nikkei 225 rallying 6.03% to close at 33,012 and the broader Topix Index jumping 6.26% to 2,432, as investors welcomed signs of easing trade tensions between Japan and the US. The rebound followed news that US President Donald Trump agreed to hold trade talks with Japanese officials after a phone call with Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent noted that Japan would likely be prioritized for tariff relief due to its prompt engagement. Meanwhile, Japanese Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato pledged to take all necessary...
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....