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 S&P 500 ended slightly lower Monday, as investors digested a meeting between Ukraine President Volodymyr Zelensky and U.S. President Donald Trump in Washington and looked ahead to the upcoming Jackson Hole Symposium. The Dow Jones Industrial Average fell 33 points, or 0.1%, the S&P 500 index slipped 0.02%, while the NASDAQ Composite added 0.03%. The main Wall Street indices notched their second straight positive week last week, with the blue-chip Dow Jones Industrial Average joined the benchmark S&P 500 and tech-heavy Nasdaq Composite in reaching a new all-time peak during...
European stocks had a mixed session on Monday as traders monitored corporate updates and a meeting between regional leaders and U.S. President Donald Trump to discuss Ukraine. The pan-European Stoxx 600 index provisionally closed fractionally above the flatline. Health-care stocks led gains, up 1.4%, as Novo Nordisk shares climbed 6.6%.The Danish pharmaceutical giant's blockbuster weight-loss drug Wegovy won regulatory approval in the United States to treat a serious liver disease. European leaders, including German Chancellor Friedrich Merz, French President Emmanuel Macron and British...
US stocks traded with little movement on Monday as the market awaited new catalysts this week and incoming clues regarding the Federal Reserve's monetary policy outlook. The S&P 500, Nasdaq 100, and Dow Jones were all relatively flat and remained near record highs reached last week. Minutes from this week's FOMC meeting and Jackson Hole Symposium are likely to provide clues regarding the direction of interest rates.Equities have been supported by bets on multiple rate cuts by the Fed this year, fueled by concerns about a weaker labor market and expectations of disinflation following a...
The Hang Seng Index fell 93 points, or 0.4%, to close at 25,177 on Monday (August 18th), reversing early gains as property and financial stocks dragged the index down. Sentiment worsened due to rising debt repayment risks in Hong Kong's property sector, with bond maturities expected to surge to nearly 70% next year amid weak sales. US index futures also weakened as President Trump plans to announce tariffs on semiconductor imports in the coming weeks. Caution prevailed ahead of the Fed's Jackson Hole symposium, where Chairman Powell is expected to outline the economic outlook and policy...
European stocks traded steady as investors awaited a meeting between US President Donald Trump and his Ukrainian counterpart. Novo Nordisk A/S advanced on another US approval for its weight-loss drug. The Stoxx Europe 600 Index was little changed at 8:12 a.m. in London. Danish drugmaker Novo Nordisk gained as much as 5% after its blockbuster Wegovy received Food and Drug Administration approval to treat a serious form of liver disease. Utilities and healthcare sectors outperformed, while banks and miners were the biggest laggards. Ukrainian President Volodymyr...