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...
The Japanese yen hovered around 147.5 per dollar on Tuesday after gaining about 1% in the previous session, as investors continued to digest the weekend's election outcome. While the ruling coalition lost its majority in the upper house, the result was largely priced in. Crucially, Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba is expected to stay in office, easing fears of political instability or a sudden resignation. Ishiba reiterated his commitment to overseeing ongoing tariff talks with the US and managing other key policy matters. Meanwhile, opposition parties are expected to push for increased...
Gold held near the highest in a month, as risk-off sentiment returned among investors watching the progress of trade negotiations ahead of US President Donald Trump's Aug. 1 tariff deadline. Bullion traded near $3,395 an ounce after closing 1.4% higher in the previous session, as concerns about Trump's next trade moves reignited demand for havens. White House Press Secretary Karoline Leavitt on Monday said the president may issue more unilateral tariff letters before Aug. 1. The dollar had its worst day in nearly a month, making gold cheaper for most...
The dollar traded in a tight range on Tuesday after a brief fall at the start of the week, as investors watched out for any progress on trade talks ahead of an August 1 deadline for countries to strike deals with the U.S. or face steep tariffs. The yen mostly held to gains from the previous session following results from a weekend upper house election in Japan that proved no worse than what had already been priced in, as focus now turns to how quickly Tokyo can strike a trade deal with Washington and Prime Minister Shigeru Ishiba's future at the helm. The Japanese currency was last a touch...
Oil was little changed after two modest declines as talks between the US and its trading partners gain urgency ahead of next week's deadline. West Texas Intermediate traded near $67 a barrel after closing lower for two sessions, while Brent settled near $69.European Union and US negotiators are heading into another week of intensive talks as they seek to clinch a trade deal by Aug. 1, when President Donald Trump has threatened to hit most of the bloc's exports with 30% tariffs. Meanwhile, US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent said the next round of US-China talks could include a discussion...
The EUR/USD pair surged on Monday (July 22nd), gaining more than 0.50%, as the US dollar weakened, pressured by falling US Treasury yields and trade uncertainty ahead of the August 1st deadline. This triggered an outflow of the greenback, as the pair traded at 1.1694 after bouncing from a daily low of 1.1614. The market mood was upbeat as investors awaited earnings reports from two megacap companies in the United States. Trade tensions between the European Union (EU) and the US have escalated as EU diplomats explore a broader range of retaliatory measures against the US, as the chances of...