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 fell slightly on Thursday as investors worried that U.S. tariffs could slow energy demand ahead of expected supply increases by major crude producers. Brent crude futures settled 31 cents, or 0.45%, lower at $68.80 a barrel. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell 45 cents, or 0.67%, to $67 in thin trading ahead of the Independence Day holiday. President Donald Trump's 90-day pause on higher U.S. tariffs expired on July 9, and several major trading partners have yet to reach a trade deal, including the European Union and Japan. Oil traders are concerned about the impact on the...
Gold prices fell 0.80% on Thursday (03/07) as a strong US Nonfarm Payrolls report strengthened the US Dollar, leading market participants to believe that the Fed is unlikely to cut interest rates at its July meeting. At the time of writing, XAU/USD was trading at $3,332, having hit an intraday high of $3,365. The US June jobs report beat estimates and also surpassed May's reading. It is worth noting that the Unemployment Rate fell close to the 4% threshold, indicating that the labor market remains solid. The data called into question Wednesday's ADP National Employment Change report, which...
Gold fell 1% on Thursday as stronger-than-expected U.S. payrolls data reinforced expectations that the Federal Reserve is unlikely to cut interest rates as quickly as previously anticipated, denting the metal's appeal. Spot gold fell 1% to $3,323.49 an ounce by 11:02 a.m. EDT (1502 GMT), while U.S. gold futures fell 0.8% to $3,333. The dollar (.DXY), opens a new tab and U.S. stock index futures rose after nonfarm payrolls increased by 147,000 jobs last month, the Labor Department's Bureau of Labor Statistics said. Economists polled by Reuters had forecast payrolls rising by 110,000. A...
Oil prices fell slightly on Thursday as the possibility of renewed U.S. tariffs raised questions about demand ahead of expected supply increases by major producers. Brent crude futures fell 63 cents, or 0.91%, to settle at $68.48 a barrel by 11:12 a.m. EDT (1512 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude fell 77 cents, or 1.14%, to settle at $66.68. Both contracts hit one-week highs on Wednesday as Iran, a major oil producer, suspended cooperation with the U.N. nuclear watchdog, raising concerns that a lingering dispute over its nuclear program could escalate into armed conflict. A...
The campaign period for the July 20 election for the upper chamber of Japan's parliament kicked off earlier Thursday, and Bank of America Securities stated that the Japanese currency has not yet priced in election risk. At 08:00 ET (12:00 GMT), USD/JPY traded 0.1% higher to ¥143.84, but the pair is approximately 8.5% lower so far this year. "We have argued that the risk from Japan's Upper House election to be held on July 20 is skewed to a weaker yen with a rise in volatility in the case of a loss by the ruling coalition party," said analysts at Bank of America Securities, in a note dated...