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...
GBP/USD retreats after gaining in the previous session, hovering around 1.2970 during Asian trading on Tuesday. The pair faces pressure as the US Dollar (USD) attempts to recover losses from the last two sessions. However, downside movement may be limited, as the Greenback remains vulnerable amid rising trade tensions and growing economic concerns in the United States (US). The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the USD against six major currencies, trades positively around 103.50 at the time of writing. However, the US Dollar could further lose ground as weak US economic data and Trump's...
Gold rose above the $3,000 level mark on Tuesday, hitting a new record high as safe-haven demand strengthened ahead of the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate decision. With the Fed expected to keep rates unchanged, investors will focus on the central bank's updated economic projections and Chair Jerome Powell's press conference for signals on future policy direction, particularly amid trade and tariff woes. Geopolitical tensions have also contributed to market uncertainty. On Monday, President Donald Trump has warned that Iran will be held directly responsible for any further attacks by...
The Australian Dollar (AUD) gains ground for the third successive session on Tuesday. The AUD/USD pair strengthened as the US Dollar (USD) weakened amid rising trade tensions and growing economic concerns in the United States (US). Reserve Bank of Australia (RBA) Assistant Governor (Economic) Sarah Hunter stated late Monday that the central bank will take a cautious approach to rate cuts. The February statement indicated that the RBA board is more conservative than market expectations regarding further easing. Hunter also emphasized monitoring US policy decisions and their impact on...
Oil steadied after a two-day gain, with the outlook for China's economy and geopolitical risk in the Middle East remaining in focus. West Texas Intermediate traded above $67 a barrel after rising by 1.5% over the past two sessions, with Brent closing near $71 on Monday. There were optimistic signals in the world's two biggest crude consumers, with Beijing planning further measures to boost consumption, while US retail sales came in stronger than expected — although they still showed a modest slowdown. Geopolitical concerns also remained at the forefront after US President Donald...
Gold is trading steadily in the early Asian trade, after hitting a record high recently. The precious metal's recent strength comes as no surprise, given rising global economic uncertainty, says Quasar Elizundia, Pepperstone research strategist in a note. The market continues to show a strong appetite for safe-haven assets, especially with the U.S. Federal Reserve's interest rate decision due later this week, Elizundia says. A more dovish stance from Fed Chair Powell could boost non-yielding assets, including gold, Elizundia says. Spot gold is flat at $3,000.58/oz. Source : Dow Jones...