The Hang Seng fell 249 points or 1.0% to close at 25,270 on Friday, slipping for the second session as all sectors dipped. Weak July data in China hit investor sentiment as industrial output grew the least in eight months, retail sales notched a six-month low, and the jobless rate rose to a four-month high of 5.2%. The Chinese statistics agency also warned of persistent risks from global headwinds and weather disruptions. Still, the index rose 1.7% for the week, its second straight gain, helped by Wall Street record highs and optimism over a possible Fed rate cut in September, as well as a...
Gold price (XAU/USD) recovers slightly from the daily low and climbs back above the $3,300 mark in the last hour, though it retains the negative bias through the first half of the European session on Friday. China's Foreign Ministry denied any ongoing negotiations with the US on tariffs, keeping a lid on the optimism in the markets and lending some support to the safe-haven precious metal. Apart from this, the protracted Russia-Ukraine war keeps the geopolitical risk premium in play and helps limit the downside for the bullion. Moreover, the prospects for a more aggressive policy easing by...
Silver prices slipped to around $33.30 per ounce on Friday, paring gains from earlier in the week as signs of easing in global trade tensions lifted the dollar, pressuring greenback-denominated commodities. The dollar strengthened as US President Donald Trump claimed that trade talks with China are ongoing, with additional signs of progress in negotiations with Japan and South Korea further boosting investor sentiment. China is also reportedly considering waiving its 125% tariff on certain US goods, raising hopes of further de-escalation in the trade war. Moreover, Trump made a u-turn on...
Oil prices rose for a second session on Friday buoyed by potential de-escalation of the U.S.-China trade war, but the market was headed for a weekly decline amid concerns about oversupply. Brent crude futures gained 43 cents to $66.98 a barrel by 0433 GMT, on track to fall 1.4% for the week. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude rose 42 cents to $63.21 a barrel but was set to decline 2.3% for the week. "For today, oil prices are slightly up as the market responds to signs of easing tensions around Trump's tariffs and a potential shift in the Fed's policy stance, contributing to a...
The US Dollar Index (DXY), an index of the value of the US Dollar (USD) measured against a basket of six world currencies, edges higher to near 99.75 during the early European session on Friday amid positive developments in negotiations with allies India, Japan and South Korea. Investors brace for the final reading of the US Michigan Consumer Sentiment, which is due later on Friday. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent has suggested that India is likely to become the first country to finalise a bilateral trade agreement with the US to avoid Trump's reciprocal tariffs on Indian exports....
The Japanese Yen (JPY) continues losing ground through the Asian session on Friday and drops to a nearly two-week low against its American counterpart in the last hour. Hopes for the potential de-escalation of trade war between the US and China remain supportive of a positive risk tone, which, in turn, is seen denting demand for the safe-haven JPY. Adding to this, the emergence of some US Dollar (USD) buying lifts the USD/JPY pair further beyond mid-143.00s. Meanwhile, government data showed that consumer inflation in Tokyo Japan's capital city – accelerated sharply in April and reaffirms...