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...
EUR/USD tumbles during the North American session, down 0.38% following the release of economic data from the United States (US), which triggered a reaction by investors, who trimmed their bets that the Federal Reserve (Fed) will cut interest rates. At the time of writing, the pair traded at 1.1598, having reached a high of 1.1642. Risk appetite improved after US President Donald Trump denied rumors that he planned to sack Federal Reserve Chair Jerome Powell. News flows had remained light, though economic data from the US continues to justify the Fed's current stance, which most officials...
Oil prices rose $1 on Thursday after drones struck Iraqi Kurdistan oil fields for a fourth day, pointing to continued risk in the volatile region. Brent crude futures settled at $69.52 a barrel, up $1.00, or 1.46%. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures finished at $67.54 a barrel, up $1.16, or 1.75%. Officials pointed to Iran-backed militias as the likely source of attacks this week on the oilfields in Iraqi Kurdistan, although no group has claimed responsibility. Oil output in the semi-autonomous Kurdistan region has been slashed by between 140,000 and 150,000 barrels per day, two...
The US Dollar (USD) gains positive traction on Thursday, recovering from a brief wobble late Wednesday after reports emerged that US President Donald Trump was considering firing Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell. Market tensions eased after Trump walked back the threat, stating it was "highly unlikely" that he would dismiss Powell. The Greenback also finds support from stronger-than-expected Retail Sales data, which highlights resilient consumer spending and reduces the likelihood of near-term Fed rate cuts. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the value of the Greenback against...
Gold (XAU/USD) is experiencing a pullback on Thursday as traders digest US Retail Sales data and await further comments from Federal Reserve (Fed) officials. The yellow metal trades near $3,335 at the time of writing, down 0.30% on the day. With the timing of when the Federal Reserve will cut interest rates still uncertain, several members of the central bank are scheduled to speak throughout the day. Comments from Governor Adriana Kugler, San Francisco President Mary Daly, Governor Lisa Cook, and Governor Christopher Waller will be monitored closely. So far, comments from Kugler that it...
Silver (XAG/USD) is edging lower on Thursday, trading around $37.57 after logging a modest gain of nearly 0.56% on Wednesday. The metal remains elevated after marking a 14-year high of $39.13 earlier this week, but momentum has cooled as the price consolidates just below that peak. A stronger-than-expected US Retail Sales report for June, which showed a 0.6% monthly rise versus the 0.1% forecast, boosted the US Dollar and Treasury yields, putting mild pressure on Silver. Traders are now watching to see whether the uptrend can resume or if a deeper pullback is on the Source: Fxstreet