The US dollar index fluctuated around 98.4 on Thursday, but remained within the previous session's strengthening zone. The market appeared cautious as investors began to position themselves ahead of the November US CPI release, which is expected to show price pressures remain above the Fed's target. Mixed US labor data earlier this week hasn't significantly changed the market outlook—investors still expect at least one interest rate cut in the future. Fed official Christopher Waller said there's still room to cut rates due to signs the labor market is softening, while Raphael Bostic was...
U.S. equities fell slightly on Monday after the Dow Jones Industrial Average catapulted to intraday and closing records, and as investors looked ahead to Nvidia earnings. The 30-stock Dow dropped 121 points, or 0.3%. The S&P 500 shed 0.2%, while the Nasdaq Composite lost 0.3%. Intel shares initially extended its gains Monday before fizzling on the heels of Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick revealing Friday that the U.S. government has taken a 10% stake in the chipmaker. That could be a sign of more to come from the Trump administration, as White House economic advisor Kevin Hassett...
The Hang Seng index surged 491 points, or 1.9%, to close at 25,830 on Monday (August 25th), extending its gains for a second session and reaching its highest level since October 2021. The rally was broad-based, driven by the prospect of a US interest rate cut amid weakening labor demand. In China, the stock market rose nearly 10% this month due to a surge in liquidity. Meanwhile, the People's Bank of China (PBOC) injected a net CNY 465.7 billion into the financial system today, the largest daily addition since late July, to maintain adequate funding conditions. The Technology Index jumped...
European markets were lower to start the new trading week Monday as investors assessed the economic outlook after hopes of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut were boosted Friday. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was last down by 0.3%, with regional indexes largely trading in negative territory. Germany's DAX and France's CAC 40 were last each down by around 0.5%. U.K. markets were closed for a public holiday. Investors on Monday closely watched shares of windfarm developer Orsted. Late on Friday, U.S. authorities ordered the company to halt construction of a near-complete project off of Rhode...
Japanese shares ended Monday higher, as Jerome Powell's dovish comments whetted risk appetite. Concerns that the yen will strengthen if the Federal Reserve cuts interest rates capped gains, however. The broader Topix Index rose 0.1% as of market close in Tokyo, with the Nikkei 225 gaining 0.4% after climbing as much as 1.3% in morning trade. Trading houses and machinery stocks lifted the Topix the most, while retail and IT shares dragged. "Powell's speech was dovish, removing the block for a September rate cut and boosting risk sentiment," said Anna Wu, a cross-asset investment...
Hong Kong shares surged 495 points or nearly 2% to 25,836 in Monday morning's deals, extending gains for the second session and hitting their highest level in almost four years. The rally followed Wall Street's advance on Friday after Fed Chair Jerome Powell signaled at Jackson Hole that rate cuts may be warranted amid a weakening labor market. Broad-based gains lifted the market, with the Hang Seng Tech Index climbing over 2.5% on renewed AI optimism after DeepSeek unveiled its upgraded V3 model, supported by domestic chips. Consumer, property, and financial stocks also climbed after...
Japan's Stocks Rise as Fed-Cut Bets, US-Share Rally Lift Mood Japanese stocks climbed Monday as a surge in US equities following Jerome Powell's dovish comments at a Federal Reserve gathering bolstered sentiment, outweighing concerns over a stronger yen. The broader Topix rose as much as 0.8% in early trade, with the blue-chip Nikkei 225 gaining as much as 1.2%. Tech, autos and trading houses lifted the Topix the most. The Dow Jones Industrial Average reached a record Friday after a speech by Powell led traders to boost wagers on an interest-rate cut as soon as next month. The...
Asia-Pacific rose Monday, tracking Wall Street gains after Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell signaled that the central bank could begin easing monetary policy next month in his widely anticipated annual speech in Jackson Hole, Wyoming. Japan's Nikkei 225 benchmark rose 1.08%, while the broader Topix index added 0.53%. In South Korea, the Kospi index increased by 0.75%, while the small-cap Kosdaq advanced 1.71%. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 benchmark climbed 0.87%. Futures for Hong Kong's Hang Seng index stood at 25,722, pointing to a stronger open compared with the HSI's last close of...
US stocks soared on Friday after Fed Chair Powell signaled the possibility of a September rate cut during his Jackson Hole speech, sparking the strongest cross-asset rally since April. The S&P 500 and Nasdaq climbed 1.5% and 1.9%, respectively, while the Dow Jones surged 846 points to a record intraday high. Speaking at the Fed's annual Jackson Hole Symposium, Powell noted that the shifting balance of risks in the economy "may warrant adjusting our policy stance," while cautioning that inflation pressures remain. Traders quickly ramped up bets on a 25 bps rate cut in September to...
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....