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 edged lower midafternoon as traders turn cautious with the dollar and yields falling ahead of tomorrow's U.S. presidential election and this week's interest-rate decision from the Federal Reserve. Gold for December delivery was last seen down US$3.00 to US$2,746.20 per ounce. The rise comes ahead of Tuesday's U.S. election, with polls showing a tight race between Donald Trump and Kamala Harris, as the two candidates offer much different economic policies. Harris is expected to continue much of the Biden Administration's policies while Trump plans blanket tariffs on imports. A...
The Pound Sterling (GBP) is likely to trade in a range, probably between 1.2890 and 1.2980. In the longer run, GBP must break and remain below 1.2845 before a sustained decline can be expected, UOB Group's FX analysts Quek Ser Leang and Lee Sue Ann note. 24-HOUR VIEW: "After GBP dropped sharply last Thursday, we highlighted on Friday that ‘The sharp drop appears to be overdone, and GBP is unlikely to weaken further.' We held the view that GBP ‘is more likely to trade in a range, probably between 1.2860 and 1.2950.' GBP did not weaken further, but instead of trading in a range, it rose to...
Gold is edging lower in early European trade as markets exercise caution ahead of a busy week between the U.S. presidential election and the Federal Reserve's monetary policy decision. Futures trade 0.2% lower at $2,743.00 a troy ounce, but are still up nearly 3% on the month and more than 30% year-to-date. Uncertainty around the election outcome--with the latest opinion polls showing a neck-and-neck race between Vice President Harris and former President Trump--has stoked demand for the safe-haven asset in recent days. Meanwhile, traders expect the Fed to cut rates by 25 basis points,...
Oil advanced after OPEC+ agreed to push back its December production increase by one month and tensions escalated again in the Middle East. Brent rose as much as 2.5% to more than $74 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate climbed above $71. Saudi Arabia and its allies delayed a series of monthly output hikes until early next year, a move anticipated by many traders amid fragile market conditions. Meanwhile, Iran escalated its rhetoric against Israel with supreme leader Ayatollah Ali Khamenei warning of a "crushing response" in a speech on Saturday. The Wall...
The rise in silver prices could be attributed to a weaker US Dollar (USD) amid lower Treasury yields. A weaker dollar generally boosts demand for dollar-denominated commodities like silver, making it more attractive to buyers using other currencies. The US Dollar Index (DXY), which measures the value of the US Dollar against a basket of six major currencies, was trading around 103.80 with the 2-year and 10-year US Treasury yields at 4.17% and 4.31%, respectively, at the time of writing. Silver prices may remain volatile as traders also brace for the upcoming monetary policy decision from...