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 prices rose slightly on Monday (October 20th) after rallying to a record high, supported by expectations of further US interest rate cuts and increased demand for safe-haven assets amid the government shutdown in Washington. Investors are now awaiting market direction from the upcoming US-China trade talks. Spot gold prices rose 0.3% to $4,259.84 per ounce at 09:51 GMT, while US gold futures for December delivery jumped 1.5% to $4,275 per ounce. Spot silver also rose 0.5% to $52.12, recovering some ground after plunging 4.4% on Friday, despite earlier touching a record...
Oil prices dipped on Monday, pressured by worries over a global glut as U.S.-China trade tensions added to concerns about an economic slowdown and weaker energy demand. Brent crude futures were down 18 cents, or 0.3%, at $61.11 a barrel as of 0938 GMT, while U.S. West Texas Intermediate futures fell 17 cents, or 0.3%, to $57.37. Oil traders' concerns have shifted from under-supply to over-supply, the futures contract structure of the global benchmark Brent showed. The six-month spread for Brent shows contracts for earlier loading are trading below those for later loading, a structure...
The U.S. dollar edged higher Monday, rebounding after last week's losses although sentiment remains wary ahead of key inflation data and amid worries over the health of the U.S. regional banking sector. U.S. CPI data dueThe U.S. currency has stabilized on the back of a rebound on Wall Street despite the sudden return of market scrutiny on U.S. regional banks, after two lenders Zions and Western Alliance Bancorp reported problems with loans associated with fraud. "Concerns about the health of regional banks and the broader quality of credit in the U.S. remain very central for FX markets,"...
Silver held below $52 per ounce on Monday after losing more than 4% in the previous session when investors locked in profits after a historic rally to record highs. Improving risk sentiment, driven largely by signs of easing US-China trade tensions, also weighed on safe-haven demand. Traders now await key US inflation data this week following a data blackout caused by the government shutdown. Meanwhile, the Federal Reserve is widely expected to cut rates by 25 basis points next week, followed by another move in December and possibly three more in 2026. Last week, silver spiked to all-time...
World oil prices slipped again at the start of this week after recording a third consecutive weekly decline. Brent fell below $61 per barrel, while WTI (West Texas Intermediate) approached $57. Pressure stemmed from market optimism about easing trade tensions between the US and China, ahead of new negotiations scheduled for this week. President Donald Trump stated that the threat of higher tariffs on China would likely not be pursued, opening the door to a trade deal. However, the market also monitored China's economic slowdown, which continued into the second quarter. Although exports...