Gold (XAU/USD) holds firm on Wednesday, with price action contained inside the recent consolidation zone as markets brace for the Federal Reserve's (Fed) interest rate decision. At the time of writing, XAU/USD is hovering near $4,204, down from the intraday high of $4,218. The Fed will announce its policy decision at 19:00 GMT, with markets leaning toward another 25 basis point cut that would lower the Federal Funds Rate to the 3.50%-3.75% range. Expectations for reduced borrowing costs keep Bullion broadly supported, as lower interest rates reduce the opportunity cost of holding...
Asia-Pacific stock markets are expected to open slightly lower on Friday. Sentiment remains thin as US stock futures moved flat during the Thanksgiving holiday, while the Nasdaq Composite is on track to end its seven-month winning streak. In the region, market participants will focus on Tokyo inflation data—often a guide to Japan's national inflation—and India's fiscal second-quarter GDP data, due out this Friday. The latest data showed Tokyo's October headline inflation edged down to 2.7% from 2.8%, while core inflation rose to 2.8%, slightly above the 2.7% forecast. Core inflation in...
European stocks closed higher on Thursday as investors digested the regional and global economic outlook. The pan-European Stoxx 600 reversed course to finish 0.12% higher by the end of Thursday's session, with major bourses and sectors mostly higher following broadly negative moves earlier in the day. It comes after a positive trading session yesterday, with the Stoxx 600 closing almost 1.1% higher and most sectors and major regional bourses in the green. Global markets have been boosted this week by rising expectations that the U.S. Federal Reserve will cut interest rates when it next...
The Hang Seng added 18 points, or 0.1%, to close at 25,946 on Thursday, marking a fourth straight session of gains amid strength mainly from financials. Sentiment was lifted by Beijing's new plan to spur consumption, including rural consumer goods upgrades and support for sectors such as pets and toys. A modest rise in mainland stocks also aided risk appetite, amid optimism toward the domestic AI sector. On the data front, however, October figures showed China's industrial profits dropped for the first time in three months, reflecting weak domestic demand and export challenges. Trading was...
The Japanese stock market closed higher on Thursday, driven by strong gains in the Real Estate, Banking, and Textile sectors. The Nikkei 225 index rose 1.28%, with three stocks performing particularly well: Resonac Holdings, which surged 8.85% to a five-year high; Toppan Printing, which set an all-time record after rising 7.32%; and Denka Co. Ltd., which surged 6.10% to a 52-week high. Overall, there were far more gainers than decliners: 2,323 stocks rose, while 1,252 declined. On the other hand, several healthcare stocks were under pressure. Eisai Co. fell 2.70%, followed by Shionogi &...
Hong Kong stocks rallied again at the start of trading on Thursday, with the Hang Seng Index rising around 82 points, or 0.3%, to 26,012. This marked the fourth consecutive day of gains, in line with Wall Street's rally, which also saw four consecutive sessions amid growing expectations of a Fed rate cut in December. All sectors on the Hang Seng opened in the green, with technology and property stocks leading the gains. Sentiment was also helped by a rebound in major mainland Chinese stock markets after a brief correction. However, the rally was tempered by the latest data showing that...
The Nikkei 225 Index jumped 1.2% to above 50,100 while the broader Topix Index added 0.7% to 3,380 on Thursday, extending gains from the previous session and taking cues from a strong lead on Wall Street amid bets on further Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. US stocks rallied for a fourth straight session overnight as markets now price in over an 80% chance that the Fed will cut rates by 25 basis points next month and three more by the end of 2026. In Japan, Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's government is reportedly planning to issue at least 11.5 trillion yen in additional bonds to fund...
Asian markets are projected to strengthen on Thursday, following Wall Street's rally, which has risen four consecutive days ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. Japanese and mainland Chinese index futures signaled a positive opening, while Australian stocks rose earlier in the session and Hong Kong's were flat. In the US, the S&P 500 rose 0.7% and the Nasdaq 100 gained 0.9%, supported by expectations of an imminent Fed rate cut. Financial markets are now pricing in around an 80% chance of a 25 bps rate cut next month, with three more cuts planned by the end of 2026. The Fed's Beige Book...
Stocks rallied on Wednesday (November 26), pushing the major stock averages to their fourth straight day of gains ahead of the Thanksgiving holiday. The Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 388 points, or 0.8%. The S&P 500 gained 0.9%, while the Nasdaq Composite gained 1%. The overall market rally was driven by artificial intelligence company Oracle, which surged more than 4% after Deutsche Bank reiterated its bullish stance on the company. Nvidia shares rose more than 1%, recovering from recent losses, while fellow "Magnificent Seven" member Microsoft traded more than 2% higher. "This...
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....