Hong Kong stocks fell 144 points, or 0.6%, to 24,936 in early trading on Friday, ending a four-day winning streak amid widespread weakness. Caution prevails ahead of China's July CPI and PPI data due Saturday, with consumer prices expected to ease slightly and producer deflation likely to persist amid ongoing trade risks. On the domestic front, Hong Kong's foreign exchange reserves fell to a three-month low of USD 425.4 billion in July. Semiconductor Manufacturing shares plunged 4.7% after missing second-quarter profit estimates, while MGM China (-4.3%), Kingdee Intl. Software (-4.2%), SITC...
Oil prices fell sharply on Tuesday morning as concerns about a trade war between the United States and the European Union resurfaced, fueling fears of a decline in fuel demand. These tensions weighed on market sentiment, fearing they would hamper global economic activity. Brent crude fell 0.75% to $68.69 per barrel, while US WTI fell 0.76% to $66.69 per barrel. The August WTI contract expires today, while the more active September contract fell 0.82% to $65.41. Priyanka Sachdeva, senior market analyst at Phillip Nova, said that demand concerns continue to mount as the market awaits a...
The EUR/USD pair clings to gains made on Monday around 1.1700 during the Asian trading session on Tuesday. The major currency pair strengthens as the US Dollar (USD) corrects sharply, following a fresh escalation in trade tensions between the United States (US) and the European Union (EU). The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback's value against six major currencies, trades flat around 97.88 on Tuesday. The DXY has corrected from its almost a month high of 99.00 in the last two trading days. Trade tensions between giant economies escalated after a report from the Wall Street...
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the value of the US Dollar (USD) against six major currencies, is holding ground after losing more than 0.50% in the previous session and trading at around 97.90 during the Asian hours on Tuesday. Market caution deepened amid rising uncertainty over impending tariffs and increasing worries about the Federal Reserve's (Fed) independence. US Commerce Secretary Howard Lutnick stated unequivocally in a televised interview, "That's a hard deadline, so on August 1, the new tariff rates will come in. Nothing stops countries from talking to us after August...
Gold prices edged down to around $3,380 on Tuesday but remained close to a five-week high reached in the previous session, amid lingering uncertainty ahead of President Donald Trump's August 1 tariff deadline. Attention is now on the EU-US trade negotiations this week, as they seek to clinch a trade deal before the deadline, when Trump has threatened to hit most of the bloc's exports with 30% tariffs. Meanwhile, the bloc is preparing a broader set of possible countermeasures against the US in a scenario where there is no agreement. On the monetary policy front, the European Central Bank is...
The Australian Dollar (AUD) edges lower against the US Dollar (USD) on Tuesday after two days of losses. The AUD/USD pair remains subdued following the release of the Reserve Bank of Australia's (RBA) Meeting Minutes. The RBA Minutes of its July monetary policy meeting highlighted that the board agreed further rate cuts warranted over time, with attention centered on timing and extent of easing. The majority believed to await confirmation on inflation slowdown before easing. Most members felt cutting rates three times in four meetings would not be "Cautious and gradual." Traders are...