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...
Oil prices fell on Wednesday as traders eyed a potential jump in U.S. crude inventories, while OPEC lowered its oil supply growth forecast for producers outside OPEC+. Brent crude futures fell 75 cents, or around 1.1%, to $65.88 a barrel by 1206 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude slipped 75 cents, or 1.2%, to $62.92. OPEC on Wednesday trimmed its forecast for growth in oil supply from the United States and other producers outside the wider OPEC+ group this year. Supply from countries outside OPEC+ will rise by about 800,000 barrels per day in 2025, down from last month's...
Gold prices fell on Wednesday as easing U.S.-China trade tensions soothed fears of a potential global recession, boosting investor risk appetite and weighing on bullion's safe-haven appeal. Spot gold fell 0.4% to $3,233.69 an ounce, as of 0828 GMT. Prices scaled a record high of $3,500.05 last month amid elevated trade war fears. "After the tariff truce announced over the weekend, we've seen stock markets surge higher, and at least in the short term, this has removed some of the safe haven focus that has helped propel gold to record highs in recent months," said Ole Hansen, head of...
Silver prices declined to below $33 per ounce on Wednesday, reversing gains from the previous session as easing global trade tensions reduced demand for safe-haven assets. The pullback followed productive US-China trade talks over the weekend in Switzerland, where both sides agreed to temporarily lower tariffs to 30% and 10%, respectively, for a 90-day period—a notable step toward de-escalation. While this has eased market fears of a prolonged trade war, uncertainty remains over what will happen once the agreement expires, with further negotiations expected in the coming weeks. Reduced...
The U.S. dollar slips lower Wednesday adding to the previous session's sharp losses, as a cooler-than-expected U.S. consumer inflation release bolstered the case for further interest rate cuts. At 04:00 ET (08:00 GMT), the Dollar Index, which tracks the greenback against a basket of six other currencies, fell 0.3% to 100.560, following a 0.8% slide on Tuesday. Dollar steadies after hefty drop U.S. consumer price index inflation was weaker than expected last month, according to data released Tuesday, alleviating some fears about the impact of the Trump trade tariffs. This hit the dollar...
Oil prices fell on Wednesday as traders eyed a potential surge in U.S. crude inventories, although prices held near two-week highs amid optimism after the United States and China agreed to temporarily lower their tit-for-tat tariffs. Brent crude futures fell 39 cents, or 0.6%, to $66.24 a barrel by 0400 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude futures fell 36 cents, or 0.6%, to $63.31. Both benchmarks had risen more than 2.5% in the previous session. The world's two largest economies agreed on Monday to pause their trade war for at least 90 days, with the United States cutting tariffs...