The Hang Seng Index reversed its downward trend in Hong Kong on Thursday (February 12th), weakening by around 0.9% to around 27,000 after a strong session earlier. This decline halted the momentum of the short term rally, as investors began to reduce risk in large cap stocks. Among the index's contributors, Tencent was a major drag, with its shares falling by around 2.3%, putting pressure on the technology sector, which has recently been a driving force behind market gains. Weakness in large cap companies like this typically quickly impacts sentiment due to their significant weighting in...
The European Central Bank should keep its options open for a bigger rate cut next month and its policy rate could eventually fall to a level that once again stimulates growth, ECB policymaker Francois Villeroy de Galhau said on Thursday. Financial market pricing indicates investors expect the central bank to lower borrowing costs by at least another quarter of a point at its next meeting on Dec. 12. Some market participants even expect a larger cut, as betting activity has shown in recent days. "Seen from today, there is every reason to cut on December 12. Optionality should remain open on...
The personal consumption expenditure price index in the US increased 0.2% month-over-month in October 2024, the same as in September and in line with expectations. Service prices rose by 0.4%, while goods prices decreased 0.1%. The core PCE index, excluding food and energy, rose 0.3%, also the same as in the previous month, as expected. Food prices were unchanged and energy prices decreased 0.1%. Annually, the PCE inflation rate edged higher to 2.3% from 2021-lows of 2.1%. The core rate rose to 2.8% from 2.7%. These increases in annual rates are influenced by base effects from the previous...
The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits fell to 213,000 in the week ending Nov. 24, 2024. The figure was lower than the 215,000 estimate and lower than the previous weekly reading of 215,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. Source: @Newsmaker23
The Conference Board (CB) released its Consumer Confidence figures, a key indicator of the level of consumer confidence in economic activity. The actual reading came in at 111.7, just shy of the forecasted 111.8, marking a significant increase from the previous figure of 2.1. The Consumer Confidence index is a leading indicator, with the potential to predict consumer spending, a major player in overall economic activity. Higher readings indicate higher consumer optimism, making this recent figure a positive sign for the US economy. While the actual figure of 111.7 narrowly missed the...
The number of Americans filing claims for unemployment benefits fell to 213,000 in the week ending Nov. 17, 2024. The figure was lower than the 220,000 estimate and lower than the previous weekly reading of 217,000, the Labor Department said Thursday. Source: @Newsmaker23