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 US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the performance of the US Dollar (USD) against a basket of six major currencies, faced a significant shift in its trading regime this week. The index was trading near 104.00 at the time of writing on Thursday (06/03). Several banks and traders reported that large clients were repatriating their offshore US Dollar-denominated investments back into their domestic currencies. This may mean that those volumes will not return anytime soon, the FT reported. The repatriation comes after weak US economic data that has left markets worried about the potential...
Oil prices were steady on Thursday after falling for the past four sessions as U.S. tariffs on Canadian crude supplies are likely to be eased, but investors remain wary of remaining tariffs on Mexico and major producers' plans to increase output. Brent crude futures were trading up 42 cents, or 0.61%, at $69.72 a barrel by 0144 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude was up 40 cents, or 0.6%, at $66.71 a barrel. Brent has plunged 6.5% in the previous four sessions, falling to its lowest since December 2021 on Wednesday, while WTI has dropped 5.8% over the same period to its...
Gold edged lower as investors study the latest developments around tariffs and their impact on the US economy and Federal Reserve decisions. The precious metal was trading near $2,915 an ounce, about $40 short of the all-time high reached last week. Silver has also seen strong haven demand, and this week has gained nearly 5%. There was more movement on the tariff front on Wednesday, with President Donald Trump delaying newly imposed automaker levies on Mexico and Canada by a month. The move saw yields on Treasuries shift toward the lowest level of the year amid mounting investor conviction...
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the US Dollar (USD) against a basket of six major currencies, was trading around 104.00 during European hours on Thursday (06/03). The DXY extended its decline for the fourth straight day amid improving risk sentiment, boosted by another shift in US President Donald Trump's tariff strategy. On Wednesday, the White House announced a temporary one-month exemption for automakers in Mexico and Canada from newly imposed 25% import tariffs. Additionally, Trump is considering exempting certain agricultural products from tariffs in both countries, according...
Oil prices rose on Thursday after heavy sell-offs drove the market to a multi-year low, however tariff uncertainties and a rising supply outlook capped gains. Brent futures were trading up 50 cents, or 0.72%, at $69.80 a barrel by 0716 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude (WTI) futures climbed 48 cents, or 0.72%, to $66.79 a barrel. Brent plunged 6.5% in the previous four sessions, dropping to its lowest since December 2021 on Wednesday, while WTI fell 5.8% over the same period to its lowest since May 2023. "The sharp dip in oil prices below the key $70.00 level may prompt a...