The Hang Seng rose 192 points, or 0.7%, to finish at 26,160 on Friday, extending gains from the prior session. The increase came after Shanghai shares hit a 10-year peak, on strong inflows and China's pledge at the conclusion of a plenum to boost the household consumption's share in GDP over the next five years. Policymakers also reaffirmed their commitment to meet 2025 economic targets and support tech self-reliance. Gains were broad-based, led by tech, consumer, and property stocks. SMIC jumped 7.4%, followed by Horizon Robotics (6.1%), China Hongqiao Group (4.1%), and Trip.com...
Silver prices climbed above $38.7 per ounce on Tuesday, rebounding from the previous session's losses after US President Donald Trump announced the removal of Federal Reserve Governor Lisa Cook over alleged mortgage fraud. The move fueled concerns about the Fed's independence and its ability to maintain monetary policy free from political influence. Analysts noted that Cook's dismissal could raise the likelihood of earlier interest rate cuts, given Trump's persistent pressure on the central bank to lower borrowing costs. On the industrial side, silver demand was underpinned by strong...
Oil dropped after a four-day gain as investors waited for clearer signals on supplies, while also tracking the wider market fallout from President Donald Trump's move to oust a Federal Reserve governor. Brent fell toward $68 a barrel, while West Texas Intermediate was below $65. On Monday, the Department of Homeland Security issued a draft notice to double tariffs on all Indian imports to penalize the country for buying Russian crude. The move — due to take effect Wednesday — is part of broader effort to broker a peace deal between Russia and Ukraine. In wider markets,...
EUR/USD holds gains after registering more than three-quarters of a percent in the previous session, trading around 1.1630 during the Asian hours on Tuesday. The pair holds ground as the US Dollar (USD) faces challenges amid concerns over Federal Reserve (Fed) independence after the US President Donald Trump threatened to remove Fed Governor Lisa Cook. President Trump posted a letter on social media early Tuesday, saying that he was removing Fed Governor Cook from her position on the Fed's board of directors. However, Cook said that she will not resign as there is no cause exists for her to...
The US Dollar Index (DXY), which tracks the Greenback's value against six major currencies, corrects to 98.30 during the Asian trading session on Tuesday, following a decent recovery move the previous day. The US Dollar (USD) faces selling pressure as the independence of the Federal Reserve (Fed), which is an autonomous body and its decisions are not impacted by political influence, has been dampened after the removal of Federal Reserve (Fed) Governor Lisa Cook by United States (US) President Donald Trump over mortgage allegations. Last week, US President Trump called Fed Governor Cook to...
The Australian dollar held its decline around $0.648 on Tuesday, as investors weighed the latest minutes from the Reserve Bank of Australia. The central bank signaled that additional interest rate cuts are likely over the coming year, with the pace of easing dependent on incoming economic data. At its August 2025 meeting, the RBA Board lowered the cash rate by 25 bps to 3.6%, citing continued progress in bringing inflation closer to the midpoint of its 2–3% target range. While a gradual pace of easing may be appropriate due to a still-tight labor market, strengthening private demand, and...