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 pound was virtually unchanged on Monday (September 8th), after posting its biggest one-day rally against the dollar in two weeks on Friday, following surprisingly weak US jobs data that had reinforced expectations of a US interest rate cut this month. The pound was last unchanged on the day at $1.3513, having strengthened 0.5% on Friday, when the dollar came under heavy pressure following the August nonfarm payrolls report showing just 22,000 jobs created last month and far fewer in previous months. Traders are fully pricing in a quarter-point interest rate cut from the Federal Reserve...
The Silver price ( XAG/USD) trades in negative territory around $40.65 during the early Asian session on Monday. The white metal retreats from the 14-year-old amid the prospect of a US Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cut. The expectation for lower Federal Reserve (Fed) interest rates this year will drag the US Dollar (USD) lower and boost the Silver price. After Friday's downbeat US jobs report, a total of three 0.25% rate cuts from the US central bank are now expected yet this year. Lower interest rates could reduce the opportunity cost of holding Silver, supporting the non-yielding white...
Gold held firm near an all-time high on Monday, inching closer to a key $3,600 level, bolstered by mounting expectations of a U.S. Federal Reserve rate cut this month following a weaker-than-expected jobs report last week. Spot gold was flat at $3,586.81 per ounce, as of 0121 GMT. Bullion rose to a record high of $3,599.89 on Friday. U.S. gold futures for December delivery fell 0.7% to $3,626.10. "The main driver is U.S. jobs data and the expectations now that the Fed could cut by 50 basis points in September. It's a marginal chance but a material shift from before the jobs figures,"...
The yen fell broadly on Monday following news that Japanese Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba had resigned, while the dollar was nursing losses after tumbling on a weak U.S. jobs report that cemented expectations for a Federal Reserve rate cut this month. Ishiba on Sunday announced his resignation, ushering in a potentially lengthy period of policy uncertainty at a shaky moment for the world's fourth-largest economy. The yen slumped in response in early Asia trade on Monday, falling 0.7% against the dollar to 148.43. The Japanese currency similarly slid more than 0.5% against the euro and...
Gold edges higher in early Asian trade. An unexpectedly weak U.S. jobs report raised expectations of a Fed rate cut later this month, supporting gold, the ANZ Research team writes in a note. Investor demand has also been supported by worries of the Fed losing its independence as Trump continues to interfere with governor appointments, they add. Spot gold is 0.2% higher at $3,593.41/oz. Source: Bloomberg