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 yen weakened against every Group-of-10 peer as investors weighed dimming chances of a Bank of Japan interest rate hike this month. USD/JPY rose as much as 0.3% to 157.78, advancing for a third straight session as traders consider another BOJ rate pause. Governor Kazuo Ueda avoided giving clear signals of a hike in January during last week's speech. US jobs and manufacturing data due later Thursday will give further pulse checks on the economy and provide more clarity on the dollar's trajectory. "With a BOJ rate hike unlikely until March, the risk of...
Gold price (XAU/USD) trades with mild gains to around $2,625 during the early Asian session on Thursday. The uncertainties around Donald Trump's tariff policies, geopolitical risks, and central bank buying support the yellow metal. Nonetheless, the cautious stance of the US Federal Reserve (Fed) might cap the Gold's upside. Traders awaited fresh catalysts that could influence the Fed's interest rate outlook this year. In December, Fed Chair Jerome Powell signaled a cautious stance on further rate cuts after delivering a 25 basis points (bps) reduction. This, in turn, could provide some...
Silver prices (XAG/USD) fell on Tuesday, according to FXStreet data. Silver trades at $28.96 per troy ounce, down 0.14% from the $29.00 it cost on Monday. Silver prices have increased by 21.71% since the beginning of the year. Source: FXstreet
Gold opened the New Year steady after notching its biggest annual gain since 2010, with traders assessing prospects for a slower pace of monetary easing by the Federal Reserve in 2025. Bullion was trading near $2,625 an ounce following its 27% gain in 2024, which was driven by the Fed's cutting cycle, sustained haven demand and a wave of purchases by central banks. Investors are now focused on the interest-rate path in the US, after Chair Jerome Powell last month signaled greater caution over how quickly the central bank can continue reducing borrowing costs amid renewed...
Oil was steady in the first session of the new year after an industry report indicated shrinking US crude stockpiles. West Texas Intermediate traded near $72 a barrel, while Brent closed below $75 on Tuesday. Nationwide inventories dropped by 1.4 million barrels last week, the American Petroleum Institute reported, according to a document seen by Bloomberg. If confirmed by government figures later Thursday, it would be a sixth straight weekly draw. Oil has been stuck in a narrow range since mid-October, with WTI ending 2024 little changed and Brent posting a modest...