China

U.S. stocks futures and the dollar rose on Wednesday after data showed that the U.S. created more jobs in January than expected, making it harder for the Federal Reserve to 'keep cutting rates' this year. Labor Department data revealed that 130,000 new workers were added to the non-farm payrolls during January. This was well above expectations of a rise in 70,000. November and December have been revised downwards a little. The unemployment rate fell to 4.3% in January from 4.4%, which was below expectations for a reading 4.4%. Lindsay James, an investment strategist with Quilter, stated that this will likely...

Bonds rose and stock markets slowed on Wednesday due to softer than expected U.S. retail figures. Meanwhile, the rally in the yen extended and could be signaling a change in investor sentiment since Japan's recent election. A holiday in Japan 'lightened' trade in Asia and Hong Kong and China markets opened at around level. The gold price rose above $5,000 per ounce, and Treasury futures also rose a bit. Cash market was closed. The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury rates fell by nearly six basis points over night and reached a low of 4.14%, a month-low. Data showed that core U.S....

Bonds rose and stock markets rebounded on Wednesday, despite softer than expected U.S. retail figures. Meanwhile, the rally in yen extended itself - perhaps signaling a change in investor sentiment since Japan's elections. The morning trade in?Asia remained light due to a holiday in Japan, and investors were waiting for inflation data in China. Gold rose above $5,000 per ounce. The benchmark 10-year U.S. Treasury rates fell by nearly six basis points over night and reached a low of 4.14%, a month-low. Data showed that core U.S. Retail Sales in December were down 0.1% and November and October data had...

Petrobras, the state-owned oil company in Brazil, posted record exports Tuesday of 1.2 million barrels per day?of crude oil and derivatives for its 'fourth quarter. This is an increase of 79% over the same period last year. In a filing with the Securities and Exchange Commission, the company said that the record was achieved as oil production in Brazil increased by about 20% during the same time period, to 2.5 million bpd. This allowed the state-run firm to send more oil overseas. The company had announced previously that it had exceeded its own production guidance for the year. Petrobras also...

Asian stocks advanced for a second consecutive day on early Tuesday trading, led by a rally in Tokyo’s benchmark after Prime Minister Sanae Takayichi's decisive victory in the Japanese election over the weekend. The broadest MSCI index of?Asia-Pacific stocks outside Japan rose 0.7%. Meanwhile, the Nikkei225 gained 2.8% for a third day in a row, reaching a new high. The yen strengthened for a third day. After a two day rally, U.S. equity e-minis have cooled, with S&P500 e-minis down by 0.1%. This partially reverses overnight gains on Wall Street. S&P 500 and Nasdaq Composite rose 0.5% on Monday as...

The global markets are set to experience their largest decline since mid-November. A stock rout in Wall Street has spread globally, and volatility is gripping precious metals as well as cryptocurrencies. AI concerns also weigh on the equities. The MSCI All-Country World Index rose 0.1% from intra-session lows, but was still on track to fall around 1.6% over the course of the week. Amazon, Microsoft and Meta are expected to spend $600 billion on artificial intelligence this year, fueling fears of its cost. Concerns about disruption in software and data services, as well as other sectors, have also continued. Is...

By Anna Szymanski Feb. 6 - What Mike Dolan, the ROI team and I are looking forward to reading, watching and listening to this weekend. From the Editor Hello Morning Bid readers! Investors have reevaluated what businesses are worth anything in an AI-driven world. The week started with a sale of some of the oldest forms of value in the world, such as gold and silver. The so-called "software-mageddon" is expected to wipe out roughly $1 trillion in market capitalization for the S&P 500 index of software and services this week. Anthropic's new tool, which could automate legal work, as...

Hengli Group, the parent company of China's Hengli Petrochemical, announced a new trading office for Hengli in Dubai. Hengli Group said in a message that the 'new office in Dubai will allow Hengli to allocate resources more efficiently and expand its market coverage. Hengli Group announced that Li Maohong will be in charge of the office. According to his LinkedIn profile, Li has been in charge of Hengli Singapore’s proprietary trading since the year 2025. He was previously a senior oil broker with state-run Sinochem and established Hengli Petrochemical International, Singapore in 2018. A source familiar with the expansion told...

Stella Qiu gives us a look at what the future holds for European and Global markets on February 5th: Investors were confident that the major U.S. tech firms would deliver a strong quarter with rosy forecasts. They increased their exposures ahead of this earnings season. This has proven to be a costly error. Google Alphabet Released It delivered solid results, but also surprised analysts when it announced that capital expenditures would be between $175 billion and $185 billion in this year - far above Wall Street's expectations. This only fueled fears about the?explosion of artificial intelligence investment. The valuations of...

MSCI's global equity gauge fell on Wednesday, with technology stocks leading the losses on Wall Street. The dollar rose broadly after the latest U.S. data on economic growth and silver outperformed the gold price following their recent drop. Oil prices rose for the second day in a row as U.S.-Iran appeared to be at odds on certain elements of their nuclear talks plan, which is expected to take place on Friday. Tuesday, crude prices spiked after the U.S. shot a drone carrying an Iranian flag and armed boats approached U.S.-flagged vessels in a key waterway. Investors reacted to economic data...

MSCI's global equity gauge fell on Tuesday, with technology stocks leading the losses on Wall Street. The dollar rose broadly after the latest U.S. Economic data. In precious metals, silver outperformed the gold following a recent drop. Prices of oil?were slightly lower. Oil prices spiked Tuesday, after the United States shot a drone belonging to Iran and armed boats approached an American-flagged ship in a major waterway. U.S. Treasury Yields initially lost some steam following ADP's National Employment Report, which showed a slower-than expected growth in January. Private employment increased by 22,000 after a downwardly-revised 37,000 job increase in December,...

Rae Wee gives us a look at what the markets will be like in Europe and the world today. The European Central Bank will announce its rate decision on Thursday, but the markets will be able to gauge the market's mood based on the preliminary Eurozone inflation data released on Wednesday. Consumer prices are expected to have eased to 1.7% on an annual basis last month. This is comfortably below the ECB’s 2% goal as the price pressures have dissipated. The central bank has reason to'stay on hold'. The latest data shows that German inflation rose unexpectedly slightly in January....

Kraft Heinz halted its plans to split on Wednesday, joining a select group of companies that have retracted major corporate restructurings. It announced plans to split in two, one focusing on sauces and condiments and the other on groceries. Some major companies have cancelled plans to split. DUPONT DuPont, a manufacturer of industrial materials, announced in January 2025 that it would no longer'separate their water business and turn it into a publicly-traded company. Instead, they will'spin off its electronics business. VIRGIN O2 Marc Murtra, the CEO of Telefonica, announced that in July 2025 they had scrapped their plan to spin...

Iron ore futures struggled to find direction on Wednesday, before erasing their?early gains. This was despite China, the world's largest consumer, offering financial support. The most-traded May iron ore contract at China's Dalian Commodity Exchange was down by 0.07% to 762.5 Yuan ($110.31). As of 0700 GMT, the benchmark March iron ore was trading at $99.9 per ton on the Singapore Exchange. China's central banks?said on Tuesday that it would increase financial support for domestic demand as a result of?industrial excess and lacklustre consumer confidence, which dampened the growth outlook. Data released on Wednesday showed that China's consumer price inflation...

Xinhua, the state news agency, reported that Premier Li 'Qiang', China's second highest official, visited rare earth facilities in southern province of Jiangxi, on Tuesday. The visit was used to imply a more intense competition between China and the United States. Over strategic minerals. These pre-holiday visits are a chance for China's top leaders to communicate their policy before the Lunar New Year celebrations begin. The readout on Wednesday subtly highlighted how Beijing has become more powerful in its negotiations with Washington by gaining access to critical components for everything from smartphones to autos. Rare earths?are also key in the...

Copper prices dropped on Tuesday as a result of rising inventories, muted trading and the Lunar New Year holiday in China (the world's largest metal consumer) that begins this weekend. The benchmark?three-month?copper price on the London Metal Exchange fell 0.6% to $13,088.50 per metric tonne at 1704 GMT. Chinese brokerage GF Futures stated in a report that the demand has cooled since downstream Chinese buyers have completed their pre-holiday restocking. Morgan Stanley analysts wrote in a report that China's apparent fourth-quarter?copper demand fell 12.3% on an annual basis, but the full-year 2025 metal demand is up 4%. Due to the...

Hedging portfolios has been based on the same rules since decades. However, as technology, geopolitics, and trading have changed rapidly, it is time to update the rules. Old playbooks assumed stable relationships. Risk-off meant that bonds rallied. "Safe havens" cushioned withdrawals. Diversification could be left to autopilot. This assumption has proven to be unreliable. Portfolios that are resilient will be required as a result of rising leverage, shifting global alliances and technological disruption. To capture long-term capital preservation and growth, a more deliberate approach is needed. High-grade bonds are one of the most popular hedges. U.S. government debt and investment...

TechMet, a U.S. investment vehicle backed by the United States, is seeking to raise an additional $200 million to finance vital minerals projects. CEO Brian Menell said on Monday. TechMet, a privately-held company that owns stakes of ten companies, including Brazilian Nickel, South Africa's Rainbow Rare Earths and Qatar Investment Authority, raised $300 million last year, including $180 from the Qatar Investment Authority. TechMet has reopened its fundraising. The company, valued at over $1 billion, focuses on developing businesses along the entire critical minerals value chain. Menell said on the sidelines an African mining conference in Cape Town: "We kept...

The dollar fell on Monday, and copper prices rose. However, weak demand prospects in China, the top industrial metal consumer, along with rising inventories, are expected to challenge the bullish sentiment. The benchmark copper price on the London Metal Exchange was 0.4% higher, at $13,043 per metric ton. Prices have fallen 10% since January 29, when they reached a record high of $14527.50. Funds use numerical models that generate buy and sale signals to determine the effect of a softer U.S. dollar on metals priced in dollars. The market is still dominated, according to traders, by funds and other speculators...

Argentine Foreign minister?Pablo Quirno said that a deal between Argentina and 'the U.S. on critical minerals signed this week doesn't rule out Chinese investments?into the mining sector of the country. As of today, this does not mean that China will or cannot invest in Argentina. Quirno stated at a press briefing that China has made investments in Argentina in the form of minerals. The agreement was announced following a meeting in Washington of over 50 countries where U.S. Vice President JD Vance suggested a trading block for critical minerals. On Thursday, the two countries finalized their reciprocal trade agreement and...

The price of copper rose above $13,000 per ton, ending two days of declines. Investor sentiment also improved as prices became more affordable. Benchmark three-month Copper on the London Metal Exchange was trading 0.8% higher at $13,001 a ton by 1700 GMT. It had earlier fallen as much as 2.9%, to $12,528. Red metal reached a session high of $13,037.50, and was on track to end the week with a loss of 1.2%. It had fallen 10.5% since a record-high price of $14,527.50 set on January 29, 2010. Broker Marex stated in a report that a merchant bid on copper...

Muyuan Foods shares closed slightly higher on Friday in Hong Kong, following the world's largest pig breeder. raised HK$10.7 Billion ($1.4 Billion) in a share sale This is the largest city-wide event so far in this year. The shares of the firm opened at HK$39 per share, matching their initial offer, and ended 3.9% higher, at HK$40.52, after trading between HK$38.98 and HK$41.72, with 40.59 millions shares worth HK$1.63billion changing hands. The benchmark Hang Seng Index ended 1.2% lower. This is the biggest share sale in Hong Kong in recent memory, surpassing Zijin Gold International $3.5 billion in September. Dickie...

The Singapore contract fell below $100 for the first time in November 2025. This is part of a broad commodities decline triggered by the fall of Wall Street tech stocks. The May contract for iron ore, the most traded on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange(DCE), ended daytime trade at 760.5 Yuan ($109.59) per metric ton. The contract ended the week 3.53% lower. As of 0722 GMT, the benchmark March iron ore traded on the Singapore Exchange had fallen 1.26% to $99.35 per ton. Iron?ore has fallen 4.28% this week and is set to have its 'fourth consecutive week of declines. After...

The price of copper fell again on Thursday as rising stocks and a stronger dollar weighed down the prices. As of 1731 GMT, the benchmark three-month copper price on the London Metal Exchange was down 1% to $12,917.50 a metric ton. Copper fell by as much as 2 percent to $12,783 earlier this week. Industrial metals also joined the broader sell-off across all asset classes. Silver, for example, lost around 13% due to a stronger dollar and an easing of U.S. China trade tensions. Dollar-denominated commodities become more expensive to holders of currencies other than the dollar. LME copper stocks...