Japanese stocks experienced a sharp decline on Wednesday, led by chip and electronics stocks, which were pressured by weakness in US technology stocks overnight. The Nikkei Stock Average fell 1.9% to 50,523.00. Stocks such as Kioxia Holdings fell 11%, SoftBank Group fell 9.1%, and Advantest plunged 8.1%. This decline reflects uncertainty in the Japanese market regarding the global technology sector. The Japanese yen also weakened slightly against the US dollar, with USD/JPY trading at 153.62, slightly higher than 153.55 at the Tokyo market close the previous day. Investors are now focused...
The dollar index remained at a four-month low below 104 on Monday after sliding over 3% last week, pressured by mounting US economic concerns. On Sunday, US President Donald Trump described the economy as undergoing "a period of transition" during a Fox News interview, when asked about the risk of a recession. His remarks came as financial markets grappled with an escalating global trade war, following new US tariffs on Mexico, Canada, and China. Meanwhile, Friday's jobs report added to the uncertainty, showing that the US economy added 151K jobs in February, slightly below forecasts of...
The Australian Dollar (AUD) rebounded on Monday, recovering losses from the previous two sessions against the US Dollar (USD). The AUD/USD pair's upward movement was primarily driven by concerns over a potential slowdown in the US economy. The Aussie Dollar also received support from stronger-than-expected GDP growth and trade data from Australia released last week. On the monetary policy front, the latest Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Meeting Minutes indicated caution regarding further interest rate cuts, clarifying that February's rate reduction does not signal a commitment to...
Brent crude oil futures dropped to around $69.9 per barrel on Monday as weak economic data from China and uncertainty over U.S. tariffs fueled demand concerns. China's consumer prices fell for the first time in 13 months, while producer price deflation persisted, underscoring deflationary pressures in the world's largest crude importer. Oil remains under pressure as President Trump's shifting tariff policies raised concerns on economic growth and energy demand. While Trump eased some tariffs on Mexico and Canada until April 2, Canada's retaliatory tariffs remain in place, and China's...
Oil fell to near the lowest since September as weak economic data from China compounded a dour outlook for demand. Brent crude traded near $70 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate was below $67 after seven weeks of declines. China's consumer inflation dropped by more than expected and was below zero for the first time in 13 months, highlighting persistent deflationary pressures in the world's biggest crude importer. Crude has been hit by a confluence of bearish factors, including an escalating global trade war, plans by OPEC and its allies to increase production, and talks to end the...
Gold edges higher in the early morning Asian session, supported by prospects of a U.S. recession that could enhance the safe-haven appeal of the precious metal. In an interview with Fox News on Sunday, President Trump refused to rule out a recession for the U.S. this year. "Traders and investors are reacting to a sharp and sudden deterioration in U.S. economic data," Saxo Bank's Ole S. Hansen says in a research report. Gold's outlook is still supportive, especially given the limited scope of its latest correction, which signals strong demand despite selling pressure from technically...