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 rose above $2,660 an ounce on Tuesday, rising for a second straight session, supported by a shift in Chinese policy and geopolitical risks in the Middle East. China's ruling Politburo on Monday announced plans to ease monetary policy for the first time in 14 years to stimulate the economy, boosting market sentiment across commodities. In addition, China's central bank added gold to its reserves for the first time in seven months, bolstering demand for the precious metal. Geopolitical tensions in the Middle East, particularly the fall of the Syrian government, also added further...
The dollar index held steady around 106.1 on Tuesday, following two consecutive sessions of gains, as investors awaited crucial inflation data later this week that could shape expectations for Federal Reserve policy. On Monday, data revealed that US inflation expectations for the year ahead rose to 3% in November, up from 2.9% in October, signaling ongoing concerns about persistent price pressures. Additionally, last week's data showed stronger-than-expected job growth in November, although the unemployment rate edged up to 4.2%. Despite these mixed signals, markets are currently pricing...
Silver price (XAG/USD) extends its gains for the second day, trading around $32.00 per troy ounce during the Asian hours on Tuesday. The daily chart analysis indicates a bullish bias, with the pair moving upwards within an ascending channel pattern. Additionally, the 14-day Relative Strength Index (RSI) remains above the 50 mark, further supporting the bullish sentiment. The XAG/USD pair continues to trade above the nine- and 14-day Exponential Moving Averages (EMA), reinforcing a bullish outlook and signaling to strengthen short-term price momentum. This points to increasing buying...
The Japanese Yen (JPY) loses ground against its American counterpart for the second consecutive day on Tuesday and lifts the USD/JPY pair to over a one-week high, above mid-151.00s during the Asian session on Tuesday. The uncertainty over how soon the Bank of Japan (BoJ) could raise interest rates again keeps the JPY bulls on the defensive. Furthermore, the overnight bounce in the US Treasury bond yields from October lows undermines the lower-yielding JPY. Apart from this, the post-NFP US Dollar (USD) recovery from a nearly one-month trough, bolstered by expectations for a less dovish...
Gold steadied after a rally as traders shifted focus to a key US inflation report due later this week that could shape expectations ahead of the Federal Reserve's final interest rate decision of the year. Bullion prices held near $2,660 an ounce — near a two-week high — after China's central bank added the precious metal to its reserves for the first time in seven months. Geopolitical concerns also fueled demand for safe-haven assets amid fears of a power vacuum in Syria after Bashar al-Assad was ousted from power over the weekend. Data on Wednesday and Thursday will give Fed officials a...