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...
The Hang Seng dropped 28 points, or 0.1%, to close at 25,774 on Tuesday, reversing early gains led mainly by tech stocks and snapping a four-session winning streak. The decline followed a 3.5% fall in shares of Kuaishou Technology after media reports said the Chinese short-video platform experienced a sudden surge in explicit content due to a cyberattack on Monday. The stock plunged as much as 6%, its biggest one-day percentage drop since October 14, before closing down 3.5%. The company confirmed it had experienced a cyberattack on Monday night and said in a statement on Tuesday that it...
The Nikkei 225 Index traded flat to close around 50,412 on Tuesday, following a two-session winning streak, as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of the government's finalization of the fiscal 2026 draft budget on Friday. The upcoming budget is projected to exceed ¥122 trillion ($781 billion), marking a record high and requiring bond issuance above last year's ¥28.6 trillion. This would come on top of a ¥21.3 trillion stimulus package funded through a supplementary budget for the current fiscal year, aimed at alleviating households from the effects of rising living costs. Notable...
The Hang Seng Index rose 107 points, or 0.4%, on Tuesday, reaching 25,909, posting its fifth consecutive session of gains. This rise was fueled by a recovery in the technology sector, fueled by optimism surrounding artificial intelligence (AI) stocks that fueled the rally on Wall Street. The Hong Kong stock market also benefited from hopes for further interest rate cuts by the Fed and expected additional stimulus from the Chinese government. Several major stocks, such as CSPC Pharmaceutical Group (up 5.2%), Zhongsheng Group (3.0%), and Ping An Insurance (2.9%), also boosted the index....
Asian stocks continued their two-day rally, following positive momentum from Wall Street that fueled a global rally. The MSCI Asia Pacific Index rose 0.3% on Tuesday morning after global stock indexes hit record closing highs. In Japan, the Topix index rose 0.5%, while US index futures edged higher. This rise was fueled by optimism about a year-end rally that is expected to strengthen. The S&P 500 erased December's losses and is on track for its eighth consecutive month of gains, which would be its longest winning streak since 2018. Large stocks like Tesla and Nvidia led the gains,...
Japanese stock markets may face a decline on Tuesday, given the uncertainty surrounding the domestic earnings outlook for Japanese companies. The yen's modest rebound from its previous decline also has the potential to put pressure on the market. Nikkei futures were down 0.2% at 50320 on the SGX, reflecting market anxiety ahead of the next trading session. USD/JPY traded at 156.89, down from 157.33 recorded at the Tokyo stock market close on Monday. This yen rebound is of significant concern, as a strengthening Japanese currency typically places a burden on Japanese exporters who rely on...
The S&P 500 rose 0.8%, the Nasdaq rose 0.6%, and the Dow Jones Industrial Average added 300 points, with technology stocks outperforming after reports that Nvidia (+1.5%) plans to begin shipping its H200 AI chip to China in mid-February. Meanwhile, Oracle added 3.2% and Micron Technology grew 4%. The energy sector also saw gains, with leading stocks like Exxon Mobil and Chevron rising 1.3% and 1.4%, respectively, as oil prices rallied on renewed supply concerns related to US action against Venezuela, while non-essential consumer goods and materials sectors posted modest gains. These...
European markets moved into negative territory on Monday as last week's positive sentiment wears off. The pan-European Stoxx 600 provisionally ended the session 0.1% lower. It follows a record-breaking previous session where Europe's benchmark index hit a fresh intraday high of 588.07 points, as investors digested a swathe of interest rate decisions. Danish renewables giant Orsted fell sharply in late trading after the U.S. Department of the Interior said Monday it was suspending leases on five offshore wind projects already under construction. U.S. Interior Secretary Doug Burgum cited...
The S&P 500 rose on Monday, spurred by a rise in technology shares, to start a shortened holiday week. The broad market index climbed 0.5%. The Dow Jones Industrial Average advanced 133 points, or 0.3%. The Nasdaq Composite climbed 0.7%. Key stocks linked to artificial intelligence offered a boost to the broader market. Nvidia shares rose 1% after Reuters said the company is looking to begin shipments of its H200 chips to China by mid-February. Meanwhile, Micron Technology and Oracle climbed almost 2.5% and more than 1%, respectively. Wall Street is coming off a mixed week for the...
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....