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 USD/CHF pair traded on a weaker note around 0.9040 during the early European trading hours on Tuesday (1/7). The US dollar (USD) weakened amid confusion over President-elect Donald Trump's tariff plans. Investors will be watching how aggressive Trump's policies will be once he takes office. On Tuesday, the preliminary reading of the Eurozone Harmonized Index of Consumer Prices (HICP) for December will be released. However, the cautious stance of US Federal Reserve (Fed) officials could help limit the USD's losses. Fed Governor Lisa Cook said on Monday that Fed policymakers could be more...
Silver prices rose above $30 an ounce on Tuesday ( 7/1), hitting a nearly three-week high as the U.S. dollar weakened following reports that the new Trump administration may take a more targeted approach to tariffs. However, President-elect Donald Trump denied the reports, prompting caution among market participants. Looking ahead, investors are focused on key U.S. labor market data this week to assess the outlook for Federal Reserve monetary policy, which could influence the direction of the dollar. Silver is also getting support from a positive economic outlook in China, the world's...
Oil prices fell on Tuesday (7/1), extending losses into a second straight session after rallying last week, although concerns about tighter Russian and Iranian supplies amid expanding Western sanctions kept the decline at bay. Brent crude futures edged down 8 cents, or 0.1%, to $76.22 a barrel by 0452 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate (WTI) crude fell 15 cents, or 0.19%, to $73.42. Both benchmarks fell on Monday, after rising for five straight days last week and ending at their highest since October on Friday amid expectations of further fiscal stimulus to revitalize China's...
EUR/USD continued its uptrend for the third straight session, trading around 1.0400 during Asian hours on Tuesday (7/1). The EUR/USD pair's uptrend was attributed to a weaker US Dollar (USD). Later in the day, the US ISM Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) will be released. On Wednesday, the market will focus on the Minutes of the Federal Reserve's (Fed) December policy meeting. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the USD against a basket of six major currencies, remained under pressure for the third straight session, trading near 108.20 at the time of writing. However, the...
Gold (XAU/USD) prices moved higher during the Asian session on Tuesday and seemed to build on overnight gains from the $2,615-$2,614 area, despite lacking bullish conviction. Expectations that US President-elect Donald Trump's proposed tariffs and protectionist policies could reignite inflation seemed to benefit the commodity's status as a hedge against rising prices. Moreover, persistent geopolitical risks stemming from the prolonged Russia-Ukraine war and tensions in the Middle East supported the safe haven precious metal. Meanwhile, prospects of a slower pace of interest rate cuts by...