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 prices rallied sharply and hit a new all-time high of $3,052 on Wednesday as US Federal Reserve (Fed) Chair Jerome Powell spoke following the Fed's decision to hold rates unchanged. At the time of writing, the XAU/USD trades volatile within the $3,035-$3,050 range, up more than 0.20%. The Fed decided to keep rates unchanged at the 4.25%-4.50% range and tweaked its balance sheet, which is expected to run off in April. The Fed acknowledged that labor market conditions remain solid but noted that inflation remains "somewhat" elevated, reaffirming its commitment to monitoring risks to both...
The USD/CHF pair gains ground to around 0.8770 during the Asian session on Wednesday, bolstered by the renewed Greenback demand. The US Federal Reserve (Fed) interest rate decision will take center stage on Wednesday, with no change in rate expected. The attention will shift to the Swiss National Bank (SNB) policy meeting later on Thursday. Market consensus suggests that the Fed will keep its federal funds rate unchanged at the current range of 4.25% to 4.50%. Traders will focus on the Press Conference and Summary of Economic Projections (SEP), or ‘dot-plot,' for more cues about the future...
GBP/USD lurched higher on Wednesday, tapping 1.2985 in intraday trading after the Federal Reserve's (Fed) latest rate call came in broadly as expected, with the Fed keeping rates steady at 4.5%. Markets broadly anticipated another hold from the Fed but are looking for signs that the Fed will continue to deliver rate cuts if the US labor market continues to break down. According to the Fed, growth expectations for 2025 have been severely hampered by the Trump administration's policy approach of announcing then walking back trade tariffs via social media posts. The Federal Open Market...
The US Dollar Index (DXY) initially gained traction near 104.00 after the Federal Reserve decided to keep its benchmark interest rate at 4.5%, maintaining a cautious stance amid evolving inflation and economic conditions. The latest FOMC dot plot revealed that policymakers expect a median rate of 3.875% for the current period, down from the prior 4.375%, reinforcing expectations of future rate cuts. Looking ahead, the Fed revised its 2025 rate forecast lower to 3.375%, a signal of potential policy easing in response to slower economic growth and elevated inflation projections. GDP...
EUR/USD climbs post-Fed, as policymakers keep rates unchanged but hint at a slower balance sheet runoff starting in April.Inflation remains "somewhat" elevated, with the Fed revising PCE and Core PCE higher, while GDP and unemployment estimates were lowered. Fed Governor Waller dissents, favoring an unchanged pace of balance sheet reduction, as markets digest mixed policy signals.The EUR/USD spkied on Wednesday after the US Federal Reserve decided to keep interest rates unchanged despite adopting a slightly hawkish approach to the future path of interest rates. At the time of writing, the...