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...
Stock markets in the Asia-Pacific region opened with mixed movements on Thursday morning, after US President Donald Trump announced he would impose a 100% tariff on semiconductor imports. However, companies building production facilities in the United States will be exempt from the tariffs. However, there is still no clarity on how large a production commitment in the US will be required for a company to be exempt from the tariffs. This uncertainty has left investors in the region cautious about the potential impact on the technology sector. In Japan, the Nikkei 225 index was flat, while...
European shares closed flat on Wednesday, surrendering early session gains, as healthcare stocks felt the pinch from U.S. President Donald Trump's latest threat to impose higher tariffs on pharmaceutical imports. The pan-European STOXX 600 index closed 0.06% lower, breaking its two-day winning streak despite starting the session on a positive note. Healthcare stocks bore the brunt of the selling pressure. The sector index plunged 2.8% to its lowest level in more than three months after Trump unveiled a graduated tariff plan targeting pharmaceutical imports that could see levies on the...
Stocks in the US were mostly higher on Wednesday, with the S&P 500 up 0.1%, the Nasdaq adding 0.2% and the Dow Jones swinging around the flatline. Traders remain focused on corporate earnings and trade developments, particularly after President Trump announced increased tariffs targeting countries that purchase energy from Russia. He also signaled that new levies on semiconductor and pharmaceutical imports will be unveiled "within the next week or so". Apple was up 2.8% as President Donald Trump is set to announce the firm will commit to another $100 billion investment on domestic...
The Hang Seng closed almost flat at 24,911 on Wednesday after dipping slightly in morning deals. Traders digested comments from President Trump, who said the U.S. was close to a trade deal with China and that he would meet President Xi before year-end if an agreement is reached. Investors also looked ahead to key Chinese economic data, including trade figures on Thursday and inflation on Saturday, amid concerns over rising trade barriers and persistent deflation risks. At the same time, markets braced for a possible new U.S. tariff announcement targeting semiconductors and chips, expected...
European stocks continued their gains for a third consecutive session on Wednesday, with the STOXX 50 rising 0.4% and the STOXX 600 up 0.2%, as corporate earnings continued to dominate market sentiment. Siemens Energy rose 1.8% after reporting record quarterly order intake, while Fresenius edged up 0.2% following an improved revenue outlook. Zalando rose 1.7% after raising its full-year forecast, and Banco BPM rose 1.4% after beating net profit expectations. On the downside, Novo Nordisk shares were little changed despite its operating profit rising below expectations. Glencore fell 3.7%...
The Nikkei 225 rose 0.6% to close at 40,795 on Wednesday (August 6th), while the broader Topix Index gained 1.02% to 2,967, marking a second straight day of gains for Japanese equities. Investors shrugged off weak gains on Wall Street, where stagflation concerns were rekindled by weak US economic data. The market also shrugged off new tariff threats from President Donald Trump, who warned of duties of up to 250% on pharmaceutical imports and potential levies on semiconductors. Domestically, data showed Japanese real wages fell for the sixth consecutive month in June, as inflation continued...
Hong Kong stocks fell 50 points, or 0.2%, to 24,851 in Wednesday morning trading, ending a two-day winning streak amid weakness in the technology, consumer discretionary, and financial sectors. Sentiment worsened after Wall Street closed lower overnight, as weak US data underscored the economic impact of tariffs on activity and earnings. Risk appetite was further dented by reports that two Chinese nationals were arrested in California for allegedly smuggling AI chips, including the Nvidia H100, to China. Caution also grew ahead of China's July trade data and inflation report, with lingering...
Japanese stocks opened lower on Wednesday (August 6th), following a decline in the US market after weak US services sector data sparked uncertainty over the Federal Reserve's policy direction. The Nikkei 225 index fell 119.08 points, or 0.3%, to 40,430.46 in early trading. Meanwhile, recent data showed Japanese workers recorded the fastest nominal wage growth in four months, reinforcing expectations that the Bank of Japan (BoJ) may soon raise interest rates. Government data showed nominal wages rose 2.5% year-on-year in June, a sharp increase from a revised 1.4% in May. The market is also...
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....