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...
Oil prices rose on Wednesday on a larger-than-expected drop in U.S. crude inventories and the potential impact of new U.S. tariffs on India. Brent crude futures were up 55 cents, or 0.8%, at $67.77 a barrel by 12:10 p.m. ET (1710 GMT). West Texas Intermediate crude futures gained 62 cents, or 1%, to $63.86. Both contracts fell by more than 2% on Tuesday. U.S. crude inventories dropped by 2.4 million barrels to 418.3 million barrels last week, the Energy Information Administration said, compared with analysts' expectations in a Reuters poll for a 1.9-million-barrel draw. U.S. gasoline...
Gold edged lower on Wednesday morning as the dollar strengthened, even amid concerns over US President Donald Trump's move to take over control of the Federal Reserve Board, which continues to encourage safe-haven asset purchases. December gold last traded down US$4.00 at US$3,429.00, down from its highest level since August 8. Trump said on Monday he would fire Federal Reserve Chair Lisa Cook, as he continues to pressure the central bank to lower interest rates despite rising inflation. Cook was appointed to the Fed Board by Joe Biden and is the first African-American woman to hold the...
Oil prices rose slightly on Wednesday morning after the United States imposed high secondary tariffs on India to curb Russian oil imports, despite a report showing a smaller-than-expected decline in U.S. crude inventories last week. West Texas Intermediate crude for October delivery last week rose US$0.24 to US$64.49 per barrel, while Brent crude for October rose US$0.20 to US$67.42. The Trump administration followed through on its threat to impose a 50% tariff on most U.S. imports from India to curb Russian oil imports. The tariffs took effect just after midnight on Wednesday, doubling...
Gold prices weakened on Wednesday (August 27th) as the dollar strengthened and some investors booked profits from the more than two-week peak reached in the previous session. Spot gold prices fell 0.3% to $3,382.31 per ounce, as of 08:11 GMT. US gold futures for December delivery fell 0.1% to $3,430.80. The dollar index rose about 0.4% against a basket of currencies, making dollar-priced bullion more expensive for holders of other currencies. "(Gold) prices move faster than an arrow, with the direction of movement determined by the dollar. The current weakness in gold prices is likely due...
The dollar strengthened against the euro and the pound sterling on Wednesday (August 27), but investor concerns over the Fed's independence persisted, potentially limiting the US currency's gains. The euro weakened about 0.4% to $1.1593 and the pound weakened 0.3% to $1.3441, giving back some of the gains sparked by Trump's announcement on Monday that he would fire Fed Chair Lisa Cook over alleged irregularities in obtaining mortgage loans. Cook's lawyer later said he would file a lawsuit to prevent her dismissal, potentially triggering a protracted legal battle. Trump's unprecedented...