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...
Japan stocks were lower after the close on Monday, as losses in the Paper & Pulp, Transport and Communication sectors led shares lower. At the close in Tokyo, the Nikkei 225 fell 1.05%. The best performers of the session on the Nikkei 225 were Fanuc Corp. (TYO:6954), which rose 5.00% or 211.00 points to trade at 4,431.00 at the close. Meanwhile, Sharp Corp (TYO:6753) added 4.93% or 33.50 points to end at 713.50 and Taiyo Yuden Co., Ltd. (TYO:6976) was up 3.85% or 104.50 points to 2,820.00 in late trade. The worst performers of the session were Dainippon Screen Mfg. Co., Ltd....
The Hang Seng Index opened higher today, gaining 70 points or 0.27%, to reach 25,458. Meanwhile, the China Enterprises Index rose by 22 points or 0.24%, closing at 9,173, and the Hang Seng Tech Index increased by 21 points or 0.37%, settling at 5,699. Technology stocks displayed mixed movements. Tencent remained unchanged, Alibaba rose by 1.2%, Meituan edged up 0.4%, Xiaomi Group dipped slightly by 0.1%, and Kuaishou gained 0.6%. Financial stocks showed general stability. HSBC Holdings recorded no change, AIA Group rose by 0.5%, Ping An Insurance increased by 0.4%, and the Hong Kong...
The Nikkei 225 fell 0.5% to below 41,300 on Monday, while the broader Topix Index slipped 0.15% to 2,948, marking a second consecutive session of losses as investors turned cautious ahead of a busy week for corporate earnings. Major firms set to report this week include Advantest, Keyence, Tokyo Electron, Nintendo, ANA Holdings, and Japan Airlines. Investors also continued to assess the impact of the US-Japan trade deal on Japan's export-reliant economy and industries. Meanwhile, attention shifted to upcoming US-China trade talks, set to begin later today in Stockholm, amid hopes for a...
The S&P 500 rose 0.4% on Friday (July 25), notching its fifth consecutive record close—its longest streak in more than a year—while the Nasdaq 100 gained 0.2% after hitting an intraday high. The Dow Jones Industrial Average gained 208 points as investors digested a wave of trade developments and corporate earnings. Optimism surrounding trade talks contributed to the rally, with President Trump scheduled to meet with European Commission President Ursula von der Leyen on Sunday amid hopes of a US-EU deal. Deals were also reached with Japan, Indonesia, and the Philippines ahead of the...
European stocks closed mostly lower on Friday (July 25th) as markets continued to monitor the latest corporate earnings reports while awaiting the latest developments in trade relations between the European Union and the US. The STOXX 50 edged higher to 5,360, and the STOXX 600 fell 0.3% to 550, weighed down by the heavier industrial and healthcare sectors. Schneider Electric and Airbus each fell more than 1% ahead of their earnings reports next week, creating negative conditions for industrial giants. Additionally, ASML and Nokia each fell around 1.5%, with Nokia continuing to weaken after...
US stocks were flat to higher on Friday, following record-high closes for both the S&P 500 and the Nasdaq the previous day. The three major averages are on track to end the week over 1% higher. Market sentiment remained cautiously optimistic amid hopes that new trade agreements—particularly with the EU—could be finalized before the August 1st deadline, potentially easing tariff rates. Adding to investor relief, President Trump appeared to soften his tone toward Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell, helping to ease concerns about the Fed's independence. Health and materials were the top...
The Hang Seng Index fell 1.1% at 25,388.35 in Hong Kong. The move was the biggest since falling 2% on June 19 and follows the previous session's increase of 0.5%. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. contributed the most to the index decline, decreasing 1.9%. Kuaishou Technology had the largest drop, falling 4.9%. Today, 63 of 85 shares fell, while 20 rose; all sectors were lower, led by commerce and industry stocks. Source : Bloomberg
European markets have just opened for the week's final session, and regional shares are broadly moving lower. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was last seen trading 0.5% lower, with all sectors and major bourses in negative territory. The tariffs-sensitive autos sector is leading losses after industry giant Volkswagen cut its guidance, warning U.S. tariffs were eating into profits. Source: CNBC
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....