The Nikkei 225 Index rose 1.27% to close at 48,278 while the broader Topix Index added 0.62% to 3,203 on Thursday, extending gains from the previous session as investors navigated political uncertainty in Japan, while a strong earnings season kept the momentum in stocks. The ruling Liberal Democratic Party proposed holding a vote for a new prime minister on Oct. 21, though opposition parties have yet to agree on the date, keeping the outlook for LDP's Sanae Takaichi unclear. Sentiment was also lifted by a solid start to the earnings season, bolstered by expectations of US rate cuts and...
WTI crude oil futures climbed 1.3% to $61.7 per barrel on Monday after OPEC+ agreed to a smaller-than-expected production increase, easing fears of a major supply surge. The group, which includes Saudi Arabia and Russia, said it would raise output by just 137K barrels per day in November matching October's increase despite earlier reports suggesting a much larger boost. The restrained move came amid diverging views within the alliance, with Moscow favoring a modest rise to protect prices and Riyadh pushing for a more aggressive expansion to reclaim market share. Prices were further...
Gold buyers appear unstoppable at the start of a fresh week, early Monday, despite the renewed US Dollar (USD) upswing and a risk-on rally on global stocks. Gold is finding demand due to increased safe-haven flows, mainly driven by the murky United States (US) economic outlook in the face of the extended government shutdown, which has entered a seventh day. There are no public signs that the Republican and Democratic lawmakers are making any efforts to end the impasse on reopening the federal government. This deadlock has raised worries over layoffs amid already weakening US labor market...
Silver climbed above $48.3 per ounce on Monday, its highest level since April 2011, as the ongoing US government shutdown and expectations of further Federal Reserve rate cuts boosted demand for safe-haven assets. Lawmakers once again failed to secure a funding deal, halting key federal programs and delaying major data releases, including September's jobs report originally scheduled for Friday. Markets are now nearly fully pricing in a quarter-point Fed rate cut this month and another in December. Investors also await remarks from Fed Governor Stephen Miran on Wednesday and Chair Jerome...
Gold prices hit an all-time high on Monday (October 6), surging above $3,900 an ounce, as investors flocked to safe-haven assets amid the US government shutdown, broader economic uncertainty, and the prospect of further Federal Reserve interest rate cuts. Spot gold rose 1.4% to $3,940.04 an ounce, as of 11:08 GMT, after reaching $3,949.34 earlier in the session. US gold futures for December delivery rose 1.4% to $3,964.50. Washington will begin mass layoffs of federal workers if US President Donald Trump decides negotiations with Democratic lawmakers to end the partial government shutdown...
Oil prices rose more than 1% on Monday after OPEC+ only raised November production by 137,000 bpd, a smaller increase than would have affected the market. At 08:08 GMT, Brent rose 1.2% to $65.33 per barrel, while WTI rose 1.3% to $61.64. These limited increases are short-term supply increases. Analysts believe the market was previously anticipating a larger increase. Janiv Shah (Rystad) said that an increase of 137,000 bpd still risks "bloating" the surplus in the fourth quarter of 2025 and into 2026. Behind the scenes, Russia is pushing for a 137,000 bpd increase, while Saudi Arabia was...