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...
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...
European stock markets closed higher on Friday, as investors continued to assess the full scope of the European Union's trade deal with America and hopes rose for a U.S. interest rate cut in September. The pan-European Stoxx 600 provisionally closed 0.47% higher, with top sectors including mining, autos and travel. London's FTSE 100 closed at a record high for the fourth session in a row, adding another 0.13% on Friday to clinch its best weekly performance since May. U.K. stocks have found support this week from gains in mining, retail and defensive stocks, along with Purchasing Managers'...
US stocks rose slightly on Friday after a decline led by the technology sector this week as the market awaited Federal Reserve Chairman Powell's speech at the Jackson Hole Economic Symposium. The S&P 500 and Dow Jones Industrial Average rose more than 0.6%, while the Nasdaq 100 edged up only slightly. Powell is likely to reveal how the FOMC is balancing inflation risks with a slowing labor market, as downward revisions to payrolls data weighed on high producer prices and cost measures in the PMI. Technology stocks were the highlight of the corporate sector. Alphabet rose 1.5% after...
The Hang Seng Index rose 212 points, or 0.8%, to close at 25,317 on Friday (August 22nd), rebounding from the previous session's decline as mainland Chinese markets reached a decade-high on resurgent tech optimism. The Hang Seng Technology Index surged 2.7% after DeepSeek launched its upgraded AI V3 model on Thursday, boosted by domestic semiconductors as Beijing develops chip self-sufficiency. Consumer stocks also rose sharply on hopes of fresh stimulus from Beijing after signs of a slowdown in Chinese activity in July. Locally, Hong Kong's annual inflation fell to a four-year low of 1.0%...
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....