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...
Silver prices are stalling above $36.00 on Monday, with bullish momentum taking a breather after a sharp multi-week rally. At the time of writing, XAG/USD remains up more than 10% for the month, although the metal now appears to be consolidating as it searches for a fresh directional catalyst. The US Dollar has lost ground despite the geopolitical backdrop, with its traditional safe-haven status coming under pressure amid political instability and uncertainty over trade policy. A softer USD has helped keep Silver supported near $36.38, following a modest 0.2% gain from Friday. The...
Oil prices fell more than $2 per barrel on Monday after reports that Iran is seeking an end to hostilities with Israel, raising the possibility of a truce and easing fears of a disruption to crude supplies from the region. Brent crude futures fell $2.65, or 2.7%, to $71.58 a barrel by 11:05 a.m. ET (1506 GMT). U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell $2.71, or 3.7%, to $70.27 per barrel. Iran has asked Qatar, Saudi Arabia and Oman to press U.S. President Donald Trump to use his influence on Israel for an immediate ceasefire in return for Tehran's flexibility in talks about its...
he dollar index extended losses to 97.8 on Monday, back again to 2022-lows, as traders dialed back some risk-off positioning while closely watching developments in the Israel-Iran conflict. Sentiment further improved following reports that Iran is signaling a willingness to resume negotiations over its nuclear program. The Wall Street Journal reported that Tehran has informed Arab officials that it is open to resuming negotiations, provided the United States refrains from participating in the attacks, citing officials. The news come as Israel and Iran continued to exchange attacks for a...
Gold is trading lower on Monday as a combination of profit-taking and geopolitical risks continues to drive prices. At the time of writing, XAU/USD is trading around $3,390, as it retreats below the former $3,400 psychological support level. The metal's safe-haven appeal, coupled with swings in US 10-year Treasury yields, remains the principal driver of prices; however, profit-taking at elevated levels has capped further gains. Geopolitical tensions continue to underpin demand: the conflict between Israel and Iran, now entering its fourth day, shows no sign of easing, and calls for...
Gold (XAU/USD) is experiencing a mild pullback during the European session after reaching a two-month high of $3,452.72 in the Asian session on Monday. Geopolitical tensions, especially the conflict between Israel and Iran, have contributed to supporting Gold prices. However, after peaking, XAU/USD pulled back, trading above $3,400 at the time of writing. The main drivers of Gold prices so far have been their safe-haven appeal, movements in US 10-year Treasury yields, and profit-taking at higher levels. Tensions between Israel and Iran have escalated over the weekend and are entering the...