The US dollar index fluctuated around 98.4 on Friday (December 19) and is expected to close the week relatively unchanged. Investors are still weighing the chances of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut next year, as inflation continues to decline and signs of weakness in the US labor market emerge. The latest inflation data indicates price pressures are easing. The November CPI report showed headline inflation fell to 2.7%, the lowest since July and below market expectations. Core inflation also weakened to 2.6%, the slowest pace since early 2021. Meanwhile, the unemployment rate rose to...
European stocks traded higher on Tuesday (August 12th), with the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 rising nearly 0.3%, recovering from a sluggish session the previous day, as traders welcomed the extension of the US-China trade truce. President Trump extended the suspension of high tariffs on Chinese goods for another 90 days, until November 10th, while China announced a similar extension for its own tariff suspension. Investors also digested key European economic data, with no major earnings reports scheduled. In the UK, recent data confirmed that the labor market continues to slow, although wage...
The Nikkei 225 jumped 2.15% to close at 42,718, while the broader Topix Index rose 1.39% to 3,066 in post-holiday trading on Tuesday (August 12th), with both benchmarks hitting new record highs thanks to strong corporate performance and improving global trade sentiment. The US-China trade truce was extended for 90 days, easing tensions and giving negotiators more time to finalize a deal. Domestically, investors continued to assess the Bank of Japan's policy outlook, with board members still divided over the timing and pace of future interest rate hikes. In corporate news, SoftBank Group...
Hong Kong stocks fell 84 points, or 0.3%, to 24,826 in a volatile Tuesday morning session, reversing the previous day's modest gains. Investors were cautious following negative sentiment on Wall Street overnight, ahead of key US inflation data, with the CPI figures due today and the PPI scheduled for Thursday. The decline was led by technology and consumer discretionary stocks, while property stocks were muted despite the Beijing government lifting restrictions on home purchases in the suburbs. Further declines were capped by the latest tariff developments, after President Trump signed an...
The Nikkei 225 jumped 2% to above 41,600, while the broader Topix Index rose 0.9% to 3,052 in post-holiday trading on Tuesday (August 12), with both benchmarks hitting all-time highs amid optimism over global trade. The U.S.-China trade truce was extended for 90 days, easing tensions and giving negotiators more time to reach a deal. Domestically, investors weighed the Bank of Japan's policy outlook as board members remained divided over the timing and pace of future interest rate hikes In corporate news, SoftBank Group surged more than 7% after committing about $32.7 billion to OpenAI and...
Stocks in the US slipped on Monday as traders braced for a busy week of economic data and geopolitical developments. The S&P 500 closed 0.2% lower, the Dow Jones fell 199 points, and the Nasdaq 100 fell 0.3% after last week's strong gains that saw the tech-heavy index notch consecutive record closes. Investors are eyeing July's CPI on Tuesday and PPI on Thursday, key inputs for the Fed's September rate decision, with markets pricing in a high chance of a cut. Trade tensions lingered as President Trump extended a 90-day pause on tariffs for Chinese goods and confirmed a deal requiring...
US President Donald Trump, in his speech on Monday night (August 11th), expressed his determination to "liberate" Washington D.C. from crime, violence, and social problems that he said had been left unchecked for too long. Trump said he would deploy federal troops to restore security and order to the capital, while ensuring the city is once again safe and orderly for its citizens. In his speech, Trump also highlighted the growing problem of homelessness in the downtown area. He plans to relocate the homeless to alternative housing outside the core area of Washington D.C., citing...
Wall Street stocks opened mixed on Monday, ahead of the crucial release of US inflation data and the approaching deadline for the interim tariff reduction agreement between Washington and Beijing. Minutes after trading opened, the Dow Jones Industrial Average rose 0.2% to 44,252.25, while the S&P 500 was flat at 6,388.35. The tech-rich Nasdaq Composite Index weakened 0.2% to 21,403.12. This movement comes after US employment data for the past three months showed weakness, which is considered a "green light" for the Federal Reserve to cut interest rates to boost the world's largest...
The Hang Seng added 48 points or 0.2% on Monday, ending around 24,907 after a brief dip in morning trade, lifted by optimism over fresh property market support in the mainland. Beijing city announced last Friday it would remove limits on the number of homes residents can buy in suburban areas, ending the two-unit-per-household cap and sparking gains in property stocks such as Longfor Group (1.9%), China Resources Land (1.5%), and Sunac China (1.4%). Sentiment was also supported by July CPI data in China, where consumer prices beat forecasts following government subsidies for consumer goods....
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....