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...
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...
Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 surpassed the 45,000 mark for the first time, leading gains in Asia-Pacific markets Monday, after President Donald Trump said that the U.S.-China trade negotiations in Spain were progressing well. The trade talks were overshadowed by a "framework" deal regarding the divestment of Chinese-owned TikTok, announced by Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent Monday. Speaking from Madrid, Bessent noted that the commercial terms have already been settled. Both U.S. President Donald Trump and Chinese President Xi Jinping will speak on Friday to discuss the terms. Japan's...
US stocks closed higher on Monday (September 15), driven by gains in technology stocks after President Donald Trump indicated that U.S.-China trade talks were progressing well, and investors awaited the Federal Reserve's decision on Wednesday. The S&P 500 rose 0.4% to close above 6,600 for the first time, the Nasdaq 100 gained 0.8%, also extending its record high, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose about 50 points. Tesla jumped 3.6% after CEO Elon Musk announced a nearly $1 billion stock purchase, his largest-ever public stock purchase, while Alphabet rose 4.3% to reach a $3...
Stocks in the US were higher on Monday, with the S&P 500 rising 0.4%, the Nasdaq adding 0.5% and the Dow Jones gaining about 50 points, as traders await the Fed's policy decision. Markets have fully priced in a 25 bps cut to the fed funds rate, while leaving a small chance for a larger 50 bps move. Investors largely expect rate cuts to persist through year-end. On the corporate front, Tesla shares surged nearly 7% after reports that Elon Musk purchased about $1 billion worth of the EV maker's stock last week. In contrast, Nvidia slipped about 1.5% after Chinese regulators said the...
Japan's Nikkei 225 index opened higher on Monday (September 15th) at 44,803.30 points before closing at 44,768.12 points. Although it briefly broke through its daily high of 44,888.02 points, the index was unable to maintain its full gains due to profit-taking near the close. Overall, the index recorded a daily gain of around +0.89% compared to the previous session. Daily Movement Throughout the session, the Nikkei moved within a range of 44,548.57 – 44,888.02 points. The strong opening sparked market optimism that the rally could continue, but selling pressure from investors seeking to...
The Hang Seng rose 58 points or 0.2% to close at 26,447 on Monday, marking its second straight gain and tracking an uptick in U.S. futures ahead of an expected Fed rate cut this week. While markets expect a 25bps reduction, President Trump has pushed for a larger move, calling the timing "ideal." Hong Kong shares hovered near a four-year high, supported by ongoing U.S.-China trade talks in Madrid that enter day two today. However, gains were capped by weak August data from China, with factory output, retail sales, credit, exports, and fixed asset investment all underperforming. Tech led...
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....