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 edges lower after registering over 0.50% gains in the previous session, trading around 1.1420 during the Asian hours on Tuesday. The US Dollar (USD) recovers its ground on technical correction, despite growing concerns regarding stagflation in the United States (US). Traders will likely observe Eurozone Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) data scheduled to be released on Tuesday. Focus will shift toward the release of the JOLTS Job Openings later in the North American session. US President Donald Trump threatened on Friday to double import tariffs on steel and aluminium,...
The Japanese yen weakened past 143 per dollar on Tuesday, snapping a three-day winning streak, even as Bank of Japan Governor Kazuo Ueda signaled a willingness to raise interest rates if economic and price momentum picks up. Ueda emphasized that Japan's economy is undergoing a moderate recovery, supported by solid business sentiment and improving corporate profits, despite some pockets of weakness. The currency also came under external pressure as the US dollar rebounded, with markets largely shrugging off weak US economic data and renewed global trade tensions. President Donald Trump's...
The Australian dollar weakened to around $0.647 on Tuesday, reversing sharp gains from the previous session, after Australia's central bank revealed it had considered an outsized rate cut last month. During its May policy meeting, the central bank signaled that policymakers had considered a bold 50 bps cut as a form of "insurance" against mounting global trade risks but ultimately opted for a more cautious 25 bps reduction. Still, markets are now pricing in roughly a 70% chance of another rate cut at the next RBA meeting, although many analysts expect the central bank to wait for Q2...
Oil prices rose in Asian trade on Tuesday, extending sharp gains from the prior session as uncertainty over a U.S.-Iran nuclear deal and worsening tensions between Ukraine and Russia heralded more potential supply disruptions. Gains in oil came after recent wildfires in Canada's oil-producing province, Alberta, stood to impact output. Markets were also cheered by the Organization for Petroleum Exporting Countries and allies (OPEC+) agreeing to increase production in line with market expectations. A deadly drone strike by Ukraine against Russia also ramped up concerns over more geopolitical...
The US dollar index edged higher toward 99 on Tuesday, recovering some ground after losses in the previous session as market sentiment steadied despite disappointing economic data and rising trade tensions. On Monday, data showed US manufacturing activity contracted more than expected in May, reflecting headwinds from ongoing trade uncertainty under the Trump administration. Trade concerns were heightened after Trump threatened to double tariffs on steel imports to 50%, drawing sharp criticism from major trading partners. Tensions with China also escalated as Beijing rejected Trump's...