Japanese stocks declined on Tuesday (April 11th), following a sharp rise earlier. The Nikkei index fell 0.5%, reaching 52,136.68, with the retail and technology sectors leading the losses. Aeon Co. shares fell 4.6%, while Recruit Holdings fell 3.6%, indicating profit-taking after a period of significant gains. Despite the Japanese market's decline, investors are still paying close attention to policy developments from Prime Minister Sanae Takaichi. Policy measures taken by the Japanese government could provide further clues about the direction of the country's economy. Investors are still...
Oil prices weakened on Tuesday (August 5th) on concerns about oversupply as OPEC+ continued significant production increases despite a weak demand outlook. This increase was more than enough to offset potential tightening of the Russian oil trade due to US policy. Brent crude futures fell 11 cents, or 0.16%, to $68.65 per barrel at 04:24 GMT. US West Texas Intermediate crude futures fell 12 cents, or 0.18%, to $66.17 per barrel. This was the fourth consecutive decline for both contracts, which had previously fallen more than 1% in the previous session and hit their lowest levels in a week....
Gold prices held steady on Tuesday (August 5), near a more than one-week high reached in the last session, as weaker US employment data reinforced expectations of a Federal Reserve interest rate cut in September, weighing on the dollar and government bond yields. Spot gold was steady at $3,371.40 per ounce at 04:32 GMT. Bullion hit its highest level since July 24 on Monday. US gold futures were unchanged at $3,425.30. The dollar index traded near a one-week low, making gold more affordable for holders of other currencies. The yield on the 10-year US government bond also hit a one-month...
Silver prices (XAG/USD) traded slightly after rising in the previous two sessions, trading around $37.50 per troy ounce during the Asian session on Tuesday (August 5). This non-yielding silver could attract buyers amid growing expectations of a rate cut by the US Federal Reserve (Fed) in September. According to the CME FedWatch Tool, the market is pricing in a 91.6% chance of a Fed rate cut next month, driven by weaker labor market data that has raised concerns about the US economic outlook. Federal Reserve Bank of San Francisco President Mary C. Daly said Monday evening that while there...
The US Dollar Index (DXY), a measure of the value of the US dollar (USD) against a basket of six global currencies, traded negative around 98.70 at the start of Tuesday's Asian trading session. Traders await the release of the US ISM Services Purchasing Managers' Index (PMI) on Tuesday for further impetus. US Nonfarm Payrolls (NFP) rose by 73,000 in July, compared to a 14,000 increase (revised from 147,000) previously, according to the US Bureau of Labor Statistics (BLS) on Friday. This figure was below the market consensus of 110,000. Meanwhile, the US Unemployment Rate edged up to 4.2% in...
West Texas Intermediate (WTI), the US crude oil benchmark, traded around $65.65 at the start of the Asian trading session on Tuesday (August 5). WTI traded slightly lower after the Organization of the Petroleum Exporting Countries and its allies (OPEC+) agreed to another significant production increase in September. OPEC+ met virtually on Sunday and agreed to increase oil production by 547,000 barrels per day (bps) for September amid growing concerns over potential supply disruptions related to Russia. The group began increasing production in April with a modest increase of 138,000 bpd,...