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...
The Japanese Yen (JPY) moved lower during the Asian session on Tuesday (4/15), which, along with a modest uptick in the US Dollar (USD), lifted the USD/JPY pair closer to the mid-143.00s. US President Donald Trump's suspension of tariffs on major consumer electronics and hints that he may temporarily exempt the auto industry from the 25% levy remained supportive of the upbeat market mood. This, in turn, was seen denting demand for traditional safe-haven assets, including the JPY. However, the rapidly escalating US-China trade war and persistent concerns about the potential economic impact...
The Australian Dollar (AUD) strengthened for the fifth straight session against the US Dollar (USD) on Tuesday (15/4). The AUD/USD pair continued to gain momentum after US President Donald Trump exempted key technology products from his new "reciprocal" tariffs, boosting global risk sentiment. The exemptions covered goods largely manufactured in China—such as smartphones, computers, semiconductors, solar cells, and flat-panel displays—which provided a boost to the AUD, as China remains Australia's largest trading partner and a major consumer of its commodities. The minutes from the Reserve...
Gold edged higher in Asia this morning as traders digested mixed signals. On one hand, Fed Governor Waller said overnight that interest rates may have to be cut soon if President Trump's massive tariffs remain in place, which supported the appeal of the non-interest-bearing precious metal. On the other hand, Trump said Monday that he is considering temporarily suspending some tariffs to help automakers, which could dampen gold's appeal as a safe-haven asset. "In the short term, gold once again appears a bit stretched and a period of consolidation may be needed," Fawad Razaqzada, market...
Oil was steady after a sluggish session on Monday, with traders monitoring the latest U.S. moves in the trade war and the prospect of easing curbs on Iranian crude. West Texas Intermediate held near $62 a barrel, with Brent settling just below $65. A degree of calm returned to Wall Street on Monday, with stocks and bonds gaining after a tumultuous week in the grip of President Donald Trump's disruptive tariff policies. Oil has fallen about $10 this month as the trade war stoked fears of a global recession that would hurt energy demand, especially in the U.S. and China — the biggest...
AUD/USD maintained its constructive outlook well and sound, advancing for the fourth day in a row and surpassing the key barrier at 0.6300 the figure with certain conviction.The Australian Dollar (AUD) extended Friday's momentum, pushing AUD/USD above the key 0.6300 level at the beginning of the week. This advance was largely driven by a modest pullback in the US Dollar (USD) amid steady US-China trade tensions. Trade war effervescenceThe latest round of tariff moves has intensified fears of a global trade war. President Trump's announcement of tariffs ranging from 10% to 50% has sparked...