Oil prices rose slightly in trading on Tuesday (January 20) after better-than-expected Chinese economic data boosted demand optimism. Brent crude rose 19 cents (0.3%) to $64.13/barrel, while February WTI which expires today rose 25 cents (0.4%) to $59.69/barrel. The more active March WTI contract also edged higher to around $59.42/barrel. This strengthening was driven by news from China, the world's largest oil importer. The Chinese economy reportedly grew 5.0% through 2025, meeting the government's target. Refinery activity also increased, with refinery throughput rising 4.1% and crude oil...
The Hang Seng Index rose 2.1% at 26,485.90 in Hong Kong. The move was the biggest since rising 2.4% on Oct. 20 and follows the previous session's decrease of 0.1%. Today, commerce and industry stocks led the market higher, as all sectors gained; 83 of 88 shares rose, while 4 fell. Alibaba Group Holding Ltd. contributed the most to the index gain, increasing 4.1%. China Hongqiao Group Ltd. had the largest increase, rising 9.9%. Source : Bloomberg
European stocks opened lower on Thursday, as investors reacted to another flurry of corporate earnings. The pan-European Stoxx 600 was 0.3% lower 20 minutes into the session, with most sectors and major bourses in negative territory. France's CAC 40 led losses among major regional indexes, with a decline of 0.7%. It's a busy day for earnings with third-quarter reports due from a slew of regional companies. AstraZeneca CEO: ‘We decided to be cautious' AstraZeneca held its guidance steady on Thursday morning, after reporting better-than-expected third-quarter revenues and profit. Total...
The Nikkei 225 index closed up 1.34% to 50,883.68 on Thursday (November 6th), helped by solid US data: the ISM services index hit an eight-month high and the ADP added 42,000 jobs. Sentiment improved after valuation concerns eased, although the market now sees the chance of a Fed rate cut in December down to around 60% from 70% at the start of the week. Domestically, Japan's Services PMI remained in expansion at 53.1, while the composite PMI was at 51.5, and cash wages rose 1.9%, driven by a surge in bonuses. Corporate news: Nissan targets record profits from its headquarters sale-leaseback...
Asian markets opened higher, following Wall Street's rebound. The Nikkei and Kospi jumped around 1% at the open, while US stock futures fluctuated after the Nasdaq 100 rose 0.7% and the S&P 500 gained 0.4%. In the bond market, the 10-year US Treasury yield held steady at around 4.15%. Oil stabilized after two days of declines, and shares of several US retailers rose as a US Supreme Court appearance that appeared skeptical of broad tariffs raised hopes that tariffs could be lifted. The return of buyers came after a brief decline that fueled concerns about overvaluation. Private data...
The Nikkei index rose 1.5% to 50,979.20 in early trading, driven by a weaker yen and a rebound in US technology stocks overnight. Positive sentiment quickly spread to semiconductor-related stocks, providing a strong boost at the market open. Kioxia Holdings shares jumped 6.0%, while SoftBank Group rose 2.5%, leading the tech sector's advance. The weaker yen also boosted exporters' prospects; USD/JPY stood at 154.03, up from 153.64 at Wednesday's close, making the earnings potential of export-based companies more attractive. Investors are now watching for performance releases and signals...