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...
The Japanese stock market opened lower at the start of this week. The Nikkei 225 index fell 0.8% to 45,009.28, dragged down by a sell-off in high-dividend stocks that began trading ex-dividend today. The greatest pressure came from Komatsu, which fell 3.8%, Kawasaki Kisen, which fell 4%, and Dai-ichi Life, which fell 3.3%. This decline is quite common when large stocks pass their ex-dividend date, as investors targeting dividends have already exited their positions. However, the weakness was felt more deeply because dividend stocks typically carry a large weighting in the index. In terms...
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Monday, while the Reserve Bank of Australia will kickstart its two-day policy meeting where it is expected to hold its cash rate steady at 3.6%, according to a Reuters poll. "The RBA are likely to find themselves in a tougher position than recent meetings. There is real tension building in the data flow," the Commonwealth Bank of Australia wrote in a note, citing how the country's August CPI indicates "material upside risks to Q3 inflation" as well as a a cyclical upswing in the activity data. However, CBA's economists also pointed to signs of softer...
US stocks closed higher on Friday (September 26th), as investors reacted positively to an inflation report that met expectations, while also considering President Trump's new wave of tariffs and weakening consumer sentiment. The S&P 500 rose 0.6%, the Nasdaq 100 gained 0.4%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 300 points, all ending a three-session losing streak. The August PCE Index, the Fed's preferred inflation measure, showed core inflation at 2.9% year-on-year, supporting expectations for two quarter-point interest rate cuts in the upcoming meeting. Boeing (+3.6%) and...
European stocks closed sharply higher on Friday, recovering from losses in the previous two sessions, as markets reassessed the impact of new US tariffs and how major European companies should navigate global tariff uncertainty. The Eurozone STOXX 50 rose 0.9% to 5,495, and the pan-European STOXX 600 gained 0.7% to 554. Major bank stocks led the session's gains amid falling long-term bond yields in the currency bloc, supporting BBVA, BNP Paribas, Nordea, and Intesa Sanpaolo to gain more than 2%. Meanwhile, ArcelorMittal rose 3% on news that the European Commission plans to impose tariffs of...
The Hang Seng slipped 356 points, or 1.4%, to end at 26,128 on Friday, marking a second straight session of losses as consumer stocks slumped after President Trump proposed steep tariffs, including a 100% levy on branded drugs not made in the U.S., a 25% tariff on heavy trucks, and duties of up to 50% on furniture. Sentiment was also cautious ahead of China's week-long National Day and Mid-Autumn Festival holidays starting October 1, and Hong Kong markets also shut on October 1 and 7. Pharma stocks led falls, with the Hong Kong-listed innovative drug index down 3%, dragged by Wuxi Biologics...
Major European bourses traded slightly higher on Friday, with the STOXX 50 up 0.4% and the STOXX 600 gaining around 0.3%, after two straight sessions of losses. However, upside momentum was capped by US President Trump's new tariff measures. Starting October 1st, branded or patented pharmaceutical products will face a 100% tariff unless the manufacturer is building a production facility in the US. Additional duties include a 25% levy on heavy trucks, a 50% tariff on kitchen cabinets and bathroom vanities, and a 30% tax on upholstered furniture imports. Sector-wise, travel and leisure,...
Japan stocks were lower after the close on Friday, as losses in the Paper & Pulp, Transport and Communication sectors led shares lower. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 lost 0.80%. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Fujifilm Holdings Corp. (TYO:4901), which rose 3.56% or 128.00 points to trade at 3,727.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Japan Steel Works Ltd (TYO:5631) added 3.41% or 293.00 points to end at 8,889.00 and Tokyo Tatemono Co., Ltd. (TYO:8804) was up 3.29% or 96.00 points to 3,012.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were Lasertec Corp...
The Hang Seng Index started the day down by 212 points or 0.8%, closing at 26,272 points; the H-share index fell by 77 points or 0.82%, to 9,366 points; while the technology index dropped by 61 points or 0.96%, settling at 6,317 points. In the tech sector, Tencent saw a decline of 0.7%; Alibaba dropped by 2%; Meituan fell by 1.2%; Xiaomi Group was down by 0.7%; JD.com Group experienced a 1.6% decrease; and Kuaishou dropped by 0.1%. Financial stocks exhibited softness, with HSBC Holdings falling by 1.1%; AIA Insurance down by 0.4%; China Ping An declining by 0.7%; and Hong Kong Exchanges...
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....