Gold steadied and was set for a moderate weekly loss as investors assessed the outlook for Federal Reserve rate cuts after resilient US jobs and retail data eased concerns about the economy. Bullion traded below $3,340 an ounce in early Asian hours, heading for a 0.5% drop on the week. That came after data that showed applications for unemployment benefits fell for a fifth straight week to the lowest level since mid-April, and advancing retail sales in June. San Francisco Fed President Mary Daly said she still thinks it's reasonable for policymakers to plan on two interest-rate cuts this...
The S&P 500 rose on Tuesday, trading near a record as stocks stay resilient despite rising global trade fears and persistent inflation worries. The broad market index gained 0.2%, while the Nasdaq Composite advanced 0.3%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average lagged, losing 83 points, or 0.2%. Nvidia climbed 3% to lead the tech sector higher. Microsoft traded slightly higher as well. Wall Street is coming off a winning week for the major averages. The Dow gained roughly 0.6% last week, while the S&P 500 advanced 1.5%. The Nasdaq rose 2.6%. Much of last week's advance came Thursday...
The Nikkei 225 Index gained 0.25% to close at 39,270, while the broader Topix Index added 0.31% to reach 2,776 on Tuesday, extending gains from the previous session as the yen halted its recent rally, easing pressure on domestic equities. On Monday, data revealed that Japan's economy grew by 0.7% quarter-on-quarter in the fourth quarter, up from 0.4% growth in the previous quarter and exceeding expectations of 0.3%. On an annualized basis, Japan's GDP expanded by 2.8% in Q4, in line with forecasts and accelerating from a 1.7% increase in Q3. However, investor sentiment remained cautious...
European markets edged higher at the open on Tuesday, as geopolitical tensions in the region boosted defense stocks. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was up around 0.18% shortly after the opening bell, with major bourses in mixed territory. Defense stocks, which hit a record high during Monday's session, continued their rally, with Renk Group gaining around 7% and German arms manufacturer up 3% in early deals. Geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Europe are likely to remain in focus for European markets this week as U.S. officials prepare for talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine,...
Hong Kong's stock market ended higher on Tuesday with the benchmark Hang Seng Index up 1.59 percent to close at 22,976.81 points. The Hang Seng China Enterprises Index jumped 1.82 percent to end at 8,475.40 points, and the Hang Seng Tech Index climbed 2.54 percent to close at 5,639.05 points. Source: CTX news
European futures hit record peaks on Tuesday as defence stocks soared on expectations of a spending bump, while Hong Kong shares were on the verge of three-year highs as investors cheered business leaders' meeting with President Xi Jinping. Australia's central bank began its rate cut cycle, as expected, and the Australian dollar found support at $0.6350 as a cut came with caution on further easing. S&P 500 futures were up 0.2% and European futures were up 0.1%. Japan's Nikkei rose 0.5% with bank and defence-related shares taking cues from Europe's rally. On Monday, the pan-European...
Hang Seng Index opened higher by 48 points at 22,664 before extending its rally, climbing as much as 418 points to reach an intraday high of 23,034. By late morning, the index was up 406 points, or 1.79%, at 23,022, with turnover on the main board totalling HK$1.168 billion. At 10.50am local time, the index was trading at 22,951.64, up 335.41 points or 1.48%. Technology stocks led the charge, with Tencent rising 2.3%, Alibaba surging 4.6%, Meituan gaining 1.6%, Xiaomi climbing 5.9%, JD.com up 1%, and Kuaishou advancing 4.1%. Financial stocks also supported the market's momentum, with HSBC...
Australia's central bank cuts interest rate for the first time in more than four yearsThe Reserve Bank of Australia on Tuesday cut benchmark interest rates for the first time in over four years, joining ranks with other major global central banks, as softening inflation allows room for easing policy. The RBA cut rates by 25 basis points to 4.10%. This marked the RBA's first easing since November 2020, when the central bank cut its key rate to a record low, as it battled a slowing economy during the pandemic. The central bank had held its policy rate steady at 4.35% since November 2023,...
The Hang Seng Index opened higher on Monday, gaining 48 points or 0.21% to reach 22,664. The China Enterprises Index rose by 20 points or 0.24% to 8,343, while the Technology Index climbed 19 points or 0.36% to 5,519. Technology stocks showed mixed performance. Tencent Holdings edged up 0.1%, while Alibaba fell by 0.1%. Meituan and JD.com both gained 0.7%, with Kuaishou Technology rising 0.1%. Xiaomi Corporation remained unchanged. Financial stocks exhibited varied results, with HSBC Holdings advancing 0.7%, while AIA Group and Hong Kong Exchanges and Clearing saw no movement. Ping An...
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....