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 over 1% on Friday as the dollar ticked lower, while the market digested recent tariff remarks from U.S. President Donald Trump ahead of a weekend meeting between the U.S. and China. Spot gold was up 0.8% to $3,332.88 an ounce at 0919 ET(13:18 GMT) and gained nearly 3% so far this week. Bullion, known as a hedge against geopolitical and economic uncertainties has risen more than 27% since the start of the year. U.S. gold futures were up 1% to $3,338.10. The U.S. dollar edged 0.3% lower, making bullion less expensive for other currency holders. U.S. President Donald Trump said...
Oil prices rose more than 1% on Friday, poised for a weekly gain as trade tensions between top oil consumers China and the United States showed signs of easing and Britain announced its own U.S. trade deal. Brent crude firmed by $1.19, or about 1.9%, to $64.03 a barrel by 1021 GMT. U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude was up $1.21, or about 2%, at $61.12. On the week, both contracts were on track to rise more than 4%. Oil prices rose more than 1% on Friday, poised for a weekly gain as trade tensions between top oil consumers China and the United States showed signs of easing and...
Silver prices steadied around $32.50 per ounce on Friday, following a volatile week as investors adopted a cautious stance ahead of high-stakes US-China trade negotiations scheduled for this weekend in Switzerland. The upcoming talks will see Chinese Vice Premier He Lifeng meet with US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent , as both sides seek to ease escalating tariff tensions. The market is closely watching for any signals of de-escalation that could impact the broader commodity landscape. Meanwhile, US President Donald Trump announced a preliminary trade deal with the UK—the first since the...
Gold (XAU/USD) prices turned positive after an intraday dip to $3,275-3,274 region as geopolitical risks emanating from the Russia-Ukraine war, rising tensions in the Middle East, and the India-Pakistan border revived safe-haven demand. Additionally, a modest US Dollar (USD) pullback from near one-month highs touched on Friday turned out to be another factor that acted as a tailwind for the commodity. With the intraday move higher, the XAU/USD pair, for now, seems to have snapped two consecutive days of losing streak, though its upside potential seems limited. The optimism led by the US-UK...
Oil prices rose on Friday, after rising about 3% in the previous session, as trade tensions between top oil consumers the U.S. and China showed signs of easing and Britain announced a "breakthrough" trade deal with the United States. Brent crude rose 43 cents, or 0.68%, to $63.27 a barrel while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 42 cents, or 0.7%, to $60.33 a barrel by 0731 GMT. Both contracts closed up nearly 3% on Thursday. U.S. Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent will meet China's top economic official, Vice Premier He Lifeng, in Switzerland on May 10 to try to resolve a trade dispute...