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...
Gold rose 2% to above $3,285 an ounce on Tuesday, boosted by a weaker U.S. dollar and rising geopolitical uncertainty. The dollar extended its decline after the Federal Reserve sounded cautious about the economy and Moody's downgraded the U.S. credit rating to Aa1, citing rising debt burdens. A weaker dollar makes gold more affordable for international buyers, boosting demand. Investor sentiment was further shaken by ongoing uncertainty over U.S. tariff policy and a key vote on President Trump's massive tax cuts. Geopolitical tensions also contributed to safe-haven inflows after...
Oil prices fell on Tuesday on uncertainty in U.S.-Iran negotiations and Russia-Ukraine peace talks, while new government data provided a cautious outlook for the economy of China, a major crude importer. Brent crude futures fell 42 cents, or 0.6%, to $65.12 a barrel by 11:02 a.m. EDT (1502 GMT), while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 26 cents, or 0.4%, to $62.43. Iran's Supreme Leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei said U.S. demands that Tehran halt uranium enrichment were "excessive and outrageous," casting doubt on whether talks on a new nuclear deal would succeed. Iran is the...
Gold rose as traders assessed trade tensions and the Federal Reserve's interest rate direction, with some buying back into bearish positions they had built up earlier after bullion hit a key level. The precious metal's rise to $3,250 an ounce helped trigger some short covering, sending it up 1.7%, according to Ole Hansen, head of commodity strategy at Saxo Bank A/S. "Gold has seen an underlying bid throughout the day as the market considers whether we've passed peak optimism," Hansen said, adding that technical buyers rushed in after the $3,250 level was broken. Gold suffered its worst...
Gold prices eked out gains on Tuesday, buoyed by a lower dollar, while investors cautiously turned their attention to further developments in Russia-Ukraine peace talks and U.S. tariff policy. Spot gold was up 0.2% at $3,236.94 an ounce as of 1102 GMT. U.S. gold futures gained 0.2% to $3,239.40. The dollar index opens new tab was down 0.2% against its rivals, making gold less expensive for other currency holders. "Main focus of traders in the gold market today is on the optimism around the US-China trade and also on renewed hopes for progress towards peace in the Russia-Ukraine conflict,"...
EUR/USD gains further to near 1.1250 in Tuesday's European session, following the previous day's upside move. The major currency pair remains on the frontfoot as the United States (US) Sovereign Credit downgrade by Moody's continues to batter the US Dollar (USD), with the US Dollar Index (DXY) extending its downside to near 100.00. On Friday, Moody's downgraded the US credit rating by one notch to Aa1 from Aaa. This move shifted the focus of financial market participants to the growing $36 trillion US government debt pile and fiscal imbalances, which would lead to a long-term increase in...