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 Nikkei closed at another record high, continuing its rally after hitting an all time high in the previous session. This increase was driven by market optimism regarding the policy direction of Japanese Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi, particularly following the results of the lower house elections, which were seen as strengthening her government's chances of a longer term. J.P. Morgan predicts the Takaichi administration has the potential to be long term and is pushing for the acceleration of policies dubbed "Sanaenomics." This concept leads to a proactive fiscal policy while still paying...
Hong Kong stocks surged on Monday morning. The Hang Seng Index rose 488 points, or around 1.8%, to 27,051, rebounding after weakening in the previous session. Sentiment was also lifted by Wall Street. Friday's rally pushed the Dow Jones Industrial Average past 50,000 for the first time, providing a tailwind for Asian markets. Investors also began to focus more on US growth prospects and the possibility of a Fed interest rate cut, rather than worrying too much about AI spending. Locally, there was some upbeat news: Hong Kong's foreign exchange reserves reportedly reached a three year...
Japanese stocks rose sharply in Tokyo after Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi's victory in Sunday's election fueled expectations of increased government spending. This optimism immediately lifted the Nikkei 225 index to a new record, while the Topix index also reached its highest peak. In morning trading, the Nikkei rose around 4% and the Topix rose more than 2%. The gains were led by the electronics and banking sectors, as investors sought stocks considered most likely to benefit from the government's spending on industrial strategies such as government spending and AI. Takaichi's ruling...
The Hang Seng Index weakened 1.2% to close at 26,559.95 in Hong Kong trading on Friday (February 6). This decline brought the Hang Seng Index to its lowest closing level since January 20, after a slight 0.1% gain the previous day a sign that the market was losing steam and entering a correction phase. Selling pressure was evident from the start of the session, with investors tending to reduce exposure to riskier assets. While no single factor was dominant, today's movement patterns suggest the market is resetting after the rally, particularly in large stocks that have been the index's...
Japanese stocks closed the week in the green after a Reuters survey signaled the Japanese economy is likely to return to growth in the fourth quarter of 2025. This optimism is supported by solid corporate investment and relatively stable consumer spending. The Nikkei 225 Index rose 0.8%, or 435.64 points, to close at 54,253.68. Market sentiment improved as market participants began to see opportunities for recovery after the previous period of weakness. According to a Reuters poll, Japan's real GDP is expected to grow 1.6% (annualized) in the fourth quarter, rebounding from a 2.3%...