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...
Hong Kong stocks rose on Tuesday, ending six consecutive days of declines. The Hang Seng Index rose 0.2% to 25,925, as investors expressed optimism that tensions between China and the United States would ease. This hope arose after the two countries opened the door to renewed negotiations. Blue-chip stocks such as Pop Mart and BYD led the gains, while gold and technology stocks also moved positively. This increase signals a stabilization in the market after a previous sell-off triggered by geopolitical concerns. US President Donald Trump signaled a possible meeting with Chinese President Xi...
Asia-Pacific markets traded mixed Tuesday, breaking ranks with Wall Street that soared after U.S. President Donald Trump softened his stance on China. Following a slew of tit-for-tat trade restrictions and heated exchanges, Trump said "Don't worry about China, it will all be fine!" in a Truth Social post Monday. China has slapped fees on U.S. ships for docking at its ports, in retaliation for similar charges imposed by Washington on Chinese ships. Both fees are scheduled to kick in Tuesday. Japan's benchmark Nikkei 225 index declined 1.34%, while the Topix lost 1.31%. South Korea's Kospi...
The Nikkei 225 index fell 1.4% to 47,406.06 on Tuesday (October 14th), pressured by rising political uncertainty in Japan. JPMorgan analysts called this decline a complete reversal of the "Takaichi trade"—a term referring to expectations of fiscal expansion, delayed interest rate hikes, a weaker yen, rising stocks, and a steeper yield curve. Several blue-chip stocks posted sharp declines, with MonotaRO plunging 6%, Ebara Corp. down 4.85%, and Chugai Pharmaceutical falling 4.3%. Meanwhile, USD/JPY was steady at 152.49, compared to 152.29 at Monday's close in New York, after Japanese markets...
Major US stock indexes closed sharply higher on Monday (October 13), recovering from Friday's sharp sell-off after President Trump took a softer stance on US-China trade tensions, assuring that relations with Beijing "will be fine." The S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 rose 1.6% and 2.2%, respectively, while the Dow Jones Industrial Average surged 593 points, as investors returned to riskier assets following Trump's comments. Trump's remarks helped ease fears of an escalating trade war after last week's threat of 100% tariffs on Chinese goods wiped out approximately $2 trillion in market value....
US stocks climbed sharply on Monday, with the S&P 500 up 1.3%, the Nasdaq surging 1.6%, and the Dow Jones rising more than 450 points, rebounding from Friday's steep losses that marked the S&P's biggest one-day drop since April. Traders appeared to shake off renewed tensions in the US–China trade dispute after Washington threatened higher tariffs in response to Beijing's rare earth export controls. Over the weekend however, President Trump struck a softer tone, saying the "China situation will all be fine". In addition, a multi-year partnership to develop custom chips between OpenAI...