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 Australian Dollar (AUD) edges lower against the US Dollar (USD) on Tuesday after two days of losses. The AUD/USD pair remains subdued following the release of the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) Meeting Minutes. The RBA Minutes of its July monetary policy meeting highlighted that the board agreed further rate cuts warranted over time, with attention centered on timing and extent of easing. The majority believed to await confirmation on inflation slowdown before easing. Most members felt cutting rates three times in four meetings would not be "Cautious and gradual." Traders are...
The Japanese yen hovered around 147.5 per dollar on Tuesday after gaining about 1% in the previous session, as investors continued to digest the weekend's election outcome. While the ruling coalition lost its majority in the upper house, the result was largely priced in. Crucially, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is expected to stay in office, easing fears of political instability or a sudden resignation. Ishiba reiterated his commitment to overseeing ongoing tariff talks with the US and managing other key policy matters. Meanwhile, opposition parties are expected to push for increased...
Gold held near the highest in a month, as risk-off sentiment returned among investors watching the progress of trade negotiations ahead of US President Donald Trump's Aug. 1 tariff deadline. Bullion traded near $3,395 an ounce after closing 1.4% higher in the previous session, as concerns about Trump's next trade moves reignited demand for havens. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday said the president may issue more unilateral tariff letters before Aug. 1. The dollar had its worst day in nearly a month, making gold cheaper for most...
The dollar traded in a tight range on Tuesday after a brief fall at the start of the week, as investors watched out for any progress on trade talks ahead of an August 1 deadline for countries to strike deals with the U.S. or face steep tariffs. The yen mostly held to gains from the previous session following results from a weekend upper house election in Japan that proved no worse than what had already been priced in, as focus now turns to how quickly Tokyo can strike a trade deal with Washington and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's future at the helm. The Japanese currency was last a touch...
Oil was little changed after two modest declines as talks between the US and its trading partners gain urgency ahead of next week's deadline. West Texas Intermediate traded near $67 a barrel after closing lower for two sessions, while Brent settled near $69.European Union and US negotiators are heading into another week of intensive talks as they seek to clinch a trade deal by Aug. 1, when President Donald Trump has threatened to hit most of the bloc's exports with 30% tariffs. Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the next round of US-China talks could include a discussion...