Oil headed for the biggest weekly loss since late June as traders positioned for a key OPEC+ decision on supply this weekend. Brent futures edged marginally higher on Friday, but were still trading below $65 a barrel and set for a weekly slump of about 8%. Prices have declined the past four days on the expectation OPEC+ will discuss fast-tracking more supply hikes. Meanwhile, efforts by the Trump administration to keep oil exports flowing from northern Iraq, as well as a US government shutdown, have added to the bearish sentiment. The OPEC+ meeting comes as...
Japanese stocks are expected to move higher on Friday, following Wall Street's record-breaking rally, fueled by OpenAI's latest funding and eye-catching valuations. Nikkei futures on SGX rose 35 points to 45,050, signaling a positive opening. In the currency market, USD/JPY was at 147.14 (vs. 147.26 late Thursday in New York), indicating a relatively stable yen. The stable exchange rate is boosting sentiment in export-oriented stocks. Investors will also be keeping an eye on Saturday's Liberal Democratic Party (LDP) leadership election, which could potentially influence domestic...
The Nasdaq marked a record closing high on Thursday with support from the technology sector while the benchmark S&P 500 barely managed to notch a record close as investors cautiously monitored private labor market data in the second day of a U.S. government shutdown. The benchmark index's valuation was around its highest level since 2020, with help from heavyweight technology companies including AI chip leader Nvidia and Broadcom. With no official government data available because of the shutdown, investors were monitoring information from other sources. A report from global...
The S&P 500 rose 0.3% to a fresh record high on Thursday, while the Nasdaq gained 0.6% and the Dow Jones hovered near the flatline. Investors kept a cautious eye on the ongoing US government shutdown, though markets largely shrugged off concerns, awaiting further developments and hoping the stalemate proves short-lived. Technology led sector gains after OpenAI raised $6.6 billion in a share sale valuing the company at $500 billion and announced an agreement with South Korean chipmakers. Industrials, energy and consumer discretionary stocks also advanced, while real estate lagged. Among...
The Hang Seng Index rose for the third day, climbing 1.6%, or 431.56 to 27,287.12 in Hong Kong. The index advanced to the highest closing level in at least a year. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. contributed the most to the index gain, increasing 3.5%. Semiconductor Manufacturing International Corp. had the largest increase, rising 12.7%. Today, 60 of 88 shares rose, while 25 fell; 3 of 4 sectors were higher, led by commerce and industry stocks. Source: Bloomberg.com
European stocks were on Thursday, with the STOXX 50 up 1% and the STOXX 600 gaining 0.6%, extending the previous session's rally that drove both benchmarks to fresh record closes. Technology shares were among the top performers, buoyed by momentum in Asia following OpenAI's agreement with South Korean chipmakers. Pharma stocks also extended gains after a relief rally in the prior session, amid signs that US President Trump's threatened tariffs on branded drugs may be less severe than feared after Pfizer struck a deal with the administration to offer discounted prescriptions through a new...
The Nikkei 225 Index climbed 0.87% to close at 44,937 on Thursday, snapping a four-day losing streak and tracking strong gains on Wall Street, with chip-related stocks driving the rebound. Despite concerns over the US government shutdown, equities were supported by robust capital spending and expectations of further Federal Reserve rate cuts. Regional sentiment also improved after OpenAI struck a deal with South Korea's Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix to supply memory chips, reinforcing optimism around artificial intelligence. Among the standouts, chipmaking equipment maker Tokyo...
Hong Kong's stock market rebounded after a one-day hiatus. Signs of stabilization in the property sector and gains in technology stocks boosted positive sentiment. As of 9:55 a.m. local time, the Hang Seng Index rose 1.3% to 27,191.99, and Hang Seng Tech rose 2.2%. Tech stocks led the way: Kuaishou surged 8%, Baidu and Alibaba both rose 3.7%, JD.com rose 2.5%, Tencent added 2.1%, Meituan 1.8%, and Xiaomi 1.9% after reporting deliveries of over 40,000 cars in September. Meanwhile, Trip.com fell 1.9%, Pop Mart 1.5%, Li Auto 0.7%, and Anta Sports 1.2%. Mainland Chinese markets were closed...
Asian markets opened higher, following a global rally that pushed world indexes to new records, despite the US entering its first government shutdown in nearly seven years. Japan, South Korea, and Australia all traded in positive territory, with the chip and technology sectors providing key support. In Seoul, Samsung Electronics and SK Hynix surged after signing initial supply deals for OpenAI's "Stargate" project. On Wall Street, the S&P 500 rose 0.3% and the Nasdaq 100 added 0.5%, helping lift the MSCI global benchmark index to a new high. In the bond market, Treasuries maintained...
Gold (XAU/USD) is extending its decline on Wednesday for a second consecutive day as the US Dollar (USD) and US Treasury yields firm ahead of the release of the Federal Open Market Committee (FOMC)...
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....