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...
Silver price (XAG/USD) extends its winning streak for the third successive session, marking a fresh 14-year high at $42.17 during the Asian hours on Friday. The precious Silver attracts buyers as market expectations for three Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cuts this year increase after US Weekly Initial Jobless Claims climbed to their highest since October 2021. The increased jobless claims, along with last week's weak Nonfarm Payrolls report, overshadow a hotter-than-expected consumer inflation reading. It's worth noting that when interest rates are low, investors often turn to non-yielding...
Gold prices rose on Friday and were set for a fourth consecutive weekly gain, as mounting concerns over a weakening U.S. labour market eclipsed inflation worries ahead of a widely expected Federal Reserve rate cut next week. Spot gold was up 0.6% at $3,654.37 per ounce, as of 0211 GMT. The contract hovered near a record high of $3,673.95 touched on Tuesday. Bullion has gained 1.9% so far this week. U.S. gold futures for December delivery were up 0.5% at $3,692.80. "Now the market is looking for a high chance of at least three interest rate cuts before 2025 ends, which is much more than...
The US dollar weakened on Friday after a surge in jobless claims and a moderate rise in inflation made markets increasingly confident that the Fed would cut interest rates next week—and possibly further thereafter. The dollar index stood at 97.585, heading for a second straight weekly decline after snapping a two-day rally on Thursday.Thursday's data showed the largest weekly increase in jobless claims in four years, overshadowing the August CPI release, which rose the fastest in seven months but remained moderate and in line with expectations. Some market participants called the current...
The Gold price (XAU/USD) edges lower to around $3,630 during the early Asian session on Friday. The precious metal retreats from a record high on some profit-taking. Nonetheless, the rising bets of the US Federal Reserve (Fed) rate cut in the upcoming meeting might cap its downside. Traders await the University of Michigan Consumer Sentiment Index data, which is due later on Friday. A modest rebound in the US Dollar (USD) and a wave of profit-taking weigh on the USD-denominated commodity price as traders continue to assess the US inflation reports, which will help shape the next steps in...
Oil held a decline after the International Energy Agency projected an even bigger surplus next year, with the bearish outlook offsetting concerns about geopolitical tensions from the Middle East to Europe. West Texas Intermediate traded near $62 a barrel after sliding 2% on Thursday. Brent settled above $66. The IEA's forecast for record oversupply followed a decision by OPEC+ over the weekend to keep returning idled barrels to the market in October, albeit at a modest rate. Thursday's slump snapped a three-day advance, which was driven by Israel's strike on the Qatari...