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 Hang Seng Index fell 153 points, or 0.6%, to close at 25,343 on Wednesday (September 3), weakening for a second day as global equities weakened on growing concerns over fiscal pressures worldwide. Meanwhile, Dow Jones futures were seen weakening, pressured by a sixth consecutive monthly decline in the US manufacturing sector. Adding to the uncertainty, a divided US appeals court ruled most of President Trump's tariffs illegal, though the measures will remain in place until October 14 pending a possible appeal to the Supreme Court. All sectors traded in the red after a military parade in...
European stocks traded higher on Wednesday, with the STOXX 50 up 0.7% and the STOXX 600 gaining 0.4%, rebounding after a 1.4% drop in the previous session. On Tuesday, equities retreated as concerns over debt sustainability in major economies pushed bond yields sharply higher, with the UK market under the greatest strain. Large-cap stocks mostly advanced, led by SAP (+1.6%), LVMH (+1.5%), ASML Holding (+2.1%), Hermès International (+0.5%) and Novartis (+0.5%). In contrast, Swiss Life fell about 2% after reporting a weaker first-half net profit, while M&G slipped 2.5% after posting a...
The Nikkei 225 Index dropped 0.88% to 41,939 while the broader Topix Index slid 1.07% to 3,049 on Wednesday, reversing prior gains and tracking Wall Street's losses. US stocks tumbled overnight as rising global bond yields, persistent economic uncertainty and renewed trade tensions pressured sentiment. Domestically, Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda reaffirmed Wednesday that the bank's stance on rate hikes remains unchanged if growth and inflation evolve as expected. Investors now look to upcoming Japanese wage data later this week for guidance on the policy path. Index heavyweights led...
The Hang Seng Index has opened positively, gaining 164 points or 0.64%, reaching 25,660 points. The National Enterprises Index rose by 65 points, equivalent to a 0.71% increase, now standing at 9,173 points, while the Technology Index climbed 56 points, or 0.99%, to 5,785 points. Technology stocks showed strong performance, with Tencent rising by 1%, Alibaba increasing by 1.3%, and Meituan slightly down by 0.1%. Xiaomi Group saw a rise of 1.9%, JD.com surged by 2.6%, and Kuaishou gained 0.7%. In the financial sector, stocks exhibited mixed results; HSBC Holdings fell by 0.1%, while AIA...
Japanese stocks are trading lower, tracking overnight losses on Wall Street as inflation fears due to rising bond yields weigh on the index. Automobile and financial stocks are weighing on the index. Toyota and Honda are down 0.2% and 0.5%, respectively. Sumitomo Mitsui Financial is down 0.9%, while Mitsubishi UFJ Financial is 0.7% lower. Index heavyweight SoftBank Group is down 2.8%. USD/JPY is down 0.1% at 148.56. The Nikkei Stock Average is down 0.4% at 42132.41. Source: Bloomberg
Asia-Pacific markets mostly fell Wednesday, tracking losses on Wall Street as investors assessed rising global bond yields and the latest developments on the trade front. Australia's S&P/ASX 200 declined by 0.52%, ahead of the release of its GDP reading for the second quarter ended June. Economists polled by Reuters forecast a 1.6% expansion from the year before, compared to the 1.3% posted in the previous quarter ended March. Japan's Nikkei 225 lost 0.43%, while the broader Topix index moved down 0.35%. Over in South Korea, the Kospi index ticked up 0.16%, while the small-cap Kosdaq...
In his first press conference in a week, President Donald Trump dismissed rumors of his death circulating on social media. In a casual tone, Trump called the reports "fake news," while emphasizing that he was actively engaging through interviews, social media posts, and visits to his golf club in Virginia. The White House Press Office added that he was in good physical condition despite suffering from chronic venous insufficiency, a common condition associated with aging, with no serious complications. Furthermore, Trump announced that the headquarters of U.S. Space Command would be moved...
The S&P 500 closed lower on Tuesday, as the tech wreck continued pressured by tariff uncertainty and a jump in bond yields. The main averages on Wall Street were closed on Monday in observance of the Labor Day holiday. At the end of the last trading day on Friday, stocks dipped, weighed down partially by declines in artificial intelligence-related names. Sticky personal consumption expenditure price index data also sparked some doubts over just how much impetus the Federal Reserve has to cut rates. President Donald Trump said he would request the Supreme Court deliver an expedited...
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....