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 Nikkei 225 Index gained 0.2%, surpassing 39,250, while the broader Topix Index added 0.15% to reach 2,770 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 after...
Asia-Pacific markets were set to open mixed Tuesday, a day after Chinese President Xi Jinping signaled support to the country's private sector and urged businesses to "show their "talents." Australia's S&P/ASX 200 was down 0.43%, ahead of the Reserve Bank of Australia's policy decision. Reuters estimates a 25-basis-point rate cut to 4.1%. The Australian dollar had strengthened 0.05% to 635 against the dollar. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 started the day 0.28% higher, while the broader Topix index advanced 0.37%. South Korea's Kospi was marginally higher, while the small-cap Kosdaq...
European stocks bounced back on Monday, with the STOXX 50 and STOXX 600 closing about 0.5% higher at new records, boosted by a surge in defense stocks amid expectations of increased defense spending by European governments. European leaders meet in Paris today to discuss Russia's invasion of Ukraine and formulate a response after the U.S. signaled limits to its support for Ukraine. Meanwhile, U.S.-Russian negotiations on the Ukraine war are set to begin this week in Saudi Arabia, although uncertainty persists over Ukraine's participation, and European countries were not invited. Also,...
The Hang Seng closed nearly unchanged at 22,616 on Monday, after an initial surge of almost 1.5% earlier in the session. Gains in property and financial stocks offset losses in the technology and consumer sectors. Traders took profits following a tech-driven rally while awaiting further policy signals from Chinese President Xi Jinping's meeting with private enterprises, including Alibaba, Meituan, Xiaomi Corp, and BYD Co. Investors also monitored reports from Reuters indicating that Beijing hopes the European Commission will make a "political decision" regarding the bloc's anti-subsidy...
The Hang Seng closed nearly flat at 22,616 on Monday after rising almost 1.5% earlier in the session. Gains in property and financial stocks ultimately offset losses in technology and consumer sectors. Traders appeared to take profits following a tech-driven rally while awaiting further policy signals from Chinese President Xi Jinping's meeting with private enterprises, including Alibaba, Meituan, Xiaomi Corp, and BYD Co. Investors also monitored reports from Reuters, which indicated that Beijing hopes the European Commission will make a "political decision" regarding the bloc's...
European markets opened slightly higher on Monday, as regional defense and geopolitical uncertainty remain in focus. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was up by around 0.1% shortly after the opening bell, with major bourses trading in mixed territory. Geopolitical tensions between the U.S. and Europe are likely to be a focus for European markets this week as U.S. officials prepare for talks with Russia to end the war in Ukraine, with officials in Kyiv and Europe being left out of the discussions. European leaders are holding an emergency summit in Paris on Monday to discuss how to respond to...
Japan stocks were higher after the close on Monday, as gains in the Gas & Water, Power and Real Estate sectors led shares higher. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 rose 0.10%. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Nippon Express Holdings,Inc. (TYO:9147), which rose 8.29% or 207.50 points to trade at 2,712.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Dai-ichi Life Holdings Inc (TYO:8750) added 7.93% or 345.00 points to end at 4,698.00 and Credit Saison Co., Ltd. (TYO:8253) was up 6.84% or 242.00 points to 3,779.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were Dentsu...
Shares in Hong Kong climbed 322 points or 1.4% to 22,941 in early trade on Monday, marking the second straight session of surge, driven mostly by strength in tech and consumers. The Hang Seng held at its highest in over four months, due to a softer US approach to reciprocal tariffs and optimism for the China's tech sector following the emergence of a low-cost AI model. Tencent Hlds. surged 7.5%, as its app, Weixin, launched beta testing with Deepseek. Meanwhile, the PBoC pledged last week to further tweak monetary policy to spur recovery while maintaining ample cash and aligning money supply...
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....