Gold prices remain high and are moving steadily near their record high. Bullion is trading around USD 4,340 per ounce, only about USD 40 below the all-time high reached last October. This increase comes after gold surged 0.8% in the previous session. Market participants are now focused on the release of US inflation data on Thursday. This data is crucial because it could provide clues as to whether the US Federal Reserve will continue cutting interest rates. If inflation slows, the chances of an interest rate cut could increase, which typically supports gold prices. In addition to economic...
US stocks remained weak on Tuesday, tracking a global equity decline amid growing concerns about the overvalued technology sector and unsustainable fiscal conditions. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 fell more than 1%, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 400 points. Nvidia and Qualcomm both fell 3% due to lingering skepticism about future returns from artificial intelligence technology, prompting investors to reconsider their large positions in software and hardware companies. Meanwhile, long-term bonds slumped amid concerns about overly expansionary fiscal policy supported by the...
The Hang Seng Index fell 121 points, or 0.5%, to close at 25,497 on Tuesday, after surging 2% in the previous session amid a sharp decline in US index futures ahead of the August jobs report and concerns over aggressive US trade policy. Technology stocks led the decline as traders took profits after a sharp rally in AI-related stocks. Property and consumer discretionary stocks also weakened, mirroring the weakness in mainland Chinese equities after three days of gains. The decline was partly offset by positive Chinese manufacturing growth in August, according to a private...
Stocks in Europe were little changed on Tuesday, with the STOXX 50 hovering around the flatline and the STOXX 600 slipping 0.2% after modest gains in the previous session. Investors are awaiting the release of Eurozone inflation data later today for fresh clues on how tariffs are influencing prices and what this could mean for the ECB's monetary policy outlook. Inflation is expected to hold steady at 2% in August. The central bank is widely anticipated to keep interest rates unchanged next week before resuming cuts in the autumn. On the corporate front, Nestlé shares dropped 2.7% following...
Japan stocks were higher after the close on Tuesday, as gains in the Real Estate, Banking and Textile sectors led shares higher. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.35%. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Isetan Mitsukoshi Holdings Ltd. (TYO:3099), which rose 5.93% or 149.50 points to trade at 2,670.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Kirin Holdings Co., Ltd. (TYO:2503) added 5.38% or 116.50 points to end at 2,280.00 and Mitsui Mining and Smelting Co. (TYO:5706) was up 4.80% or 490.00 points to 10,705.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were...
The Hang Seng Index opened down by 29 points, or 0.11%, settling at 25,587 points. The Enterprise Index also declined, falling by 9 points or 0.11% to 9,111 points. Meanwhile, the Technology Index experienced a slight drop of 6 points, or 0.1%, bringing it to 5,792 points. In the technology sector, stock performances varied. Tencent saw a modest increase of 0.1%, while Alibaba gained 2%. Conversely, Meituan experienced a decline of 1.2%. Xiaomi Group rose by 0.1%, but JD.com and Kuaishou both dropped by 0.3%. In the financial sector, stocks exhibited mixed results. HSBC Holdings rose by...
The Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.4% to around 42,350, while the broader Topix Index added 0.3% to 3,072 on Tuesday, with Japanese shares snapping a two-day losing streak as risk sentiment improved. Investors weighed the global trade outlook after a US federal appeals court ruled that most of President Donald Trump's tariffs were unlawful, giving the administration until October 14 to appeal to the US Supreme Court. Domestically, attention turned to upcoming wage data that could shape monetary policy direction. Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda recently said wages are set to rise further amid a...
Asia-Pacific markets mostly rose investors assessed the Shanghai Cooperation Organization meeting of leaders in Tianjin, with tariff uncertainty weighing on sentiment. This comes after a U.S. federal appeals court on Friday ruled that most of President Donald Trump's global tariffs are illegal. Japan's Nikkei 225 rose 0.31%, while the broader Topix index added 0.28%. Over in South Korea, the Kospi index increased by 0.45%, while the small-cap Kosdaq moved up 0.14%. The country's consumer price index rose 1.7% in August from the year before, after increasing by 2.1% the month before. This...
European shares finished marginally higher on Monday, supported by defence stocks, while Novo Nordisk gained after data showed its weight-loss drug Wegovy delivers stronger heart-protective benefits than Eli Lilly's rival therapies. The pan-European STOXX 600 closed up 0.17% at 551.07, with gains led by the aerospace and defence index, which surged 2.1% to hover near a record high. Defence giants, Rolls-Royce Holdings, Rheinmetall and Hensoldt advanced between 2.8% and 4.5%. Gains followed a Financial Times report that European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen said Europe was...
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....