The Hang Seng Index plunged 376 points, or 1.4%, to close at 25,907 on Friday, marking its third consecutive session of decline amid widespread declines across sectors. Market sentiment weakened after China's official PMI showed manufacturing activity contracted at its fastest pace in six months in October, while service sector growth remained weak. Meanwhile, the temporary US-China trade truce failed to boost confidence, with investors viewing it as a short-term respite rather than a meaningful breakthrough. Further pressure came after US Federal Reserve Chairman Powell signaled that a...
The dollar index maintained its recent rally, holding above 108.3 on Tuesday, as President Donald Trump signed an executive order imposing 25% tariffs on steel and aluminum imports "without exceptions or exemptions." Trump also revealed plans to introduce reciprocal tariffs on other countries in the coming days. This move raised concerns about a global trade war that could fuel inflation, potentially limiting the Federal Reserve's ability to cut interest rates further. Traders were also preparing for Fed Chair Jerome Powell's testimony before Congress on Tuesday and Wednesday, hoping for...
The Japanese Yen (JPY) attracted some safe-haven flows during the Asian session on Tuesday in reaction to US President Donald Trump's new tariffs on steel and aluminum imports. Apart from this, the Bank of Japan's (BoJ) plans to hike interest rates further turn out to be another factor that underpins the JPY. This, in turn, keeps the USD/JPY pair below the 152.00 mark and a confluence support-breakpoint-turned-resistance retested on Monday. Meanwhile, Trump's no-exemption tariffs on commodity imports effectively end deals with the European Union, the United Kingdom, Japan, and other...
Gold price builds on its positive move beyond the $2,900 mark and hits a fresh record high during the Asian session on Tuesday as Trump's trade tariffs continue to boost demand for the safe-haven bullion. Bulls seem unaffected by expectations that the Fed would stick to its hawkish stance and a modest USD strength.Risk aversion keeps fueling Gold demand, with the bright metal conquering the $2,900 threshold on Monday. Demand for safety was boosted by comments from United States (US) President Donald Trump, who pledged to impose more tariffs over the weekend. Speaking to reporters on Air...
The Australian Dollar (AUD) weakened against the US Dollar (USD) on Tuesday as downward pressure mounted on the AUD/USD pair. The decline followed US President Donald Trump's decision to expand steel and aluminum tariffs by 25% to include all imports, nullifying trade agreements with key US allies, including Australia. The White House confirmed that all import tax exclusions had been removed and indicated that further action on microchips and vehicles would be considered in the coming weeks.Australia's Westpac Consumer Confidence increased by 0.1% in February, reaching 92.2 from 92.1 in...
Oil prices were steady on Tuesday as traders digested another round of trade tariffs, this time a 25% levy on all U.S. imports of steel and aluminium, which could weigh on global economic and energy demand in the world's biggest oil consumer. Brent crude futures were up 11 cents, or 0.14%, at $75.98 a barrel by 0128 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate crude rose 5 cents or 0.07% to $72.37. President Donald Trump substantially raised tariffs on steel and aluminium imports to the U.S. on Tuesday to a flat 25% "without exceptions or exemptions" to aid the struggling industries that could...