Hong Kong

The euro reached a five-month-high on Wednesday, as Ukraine was ready to accept a ceasefire lasting a full month. Meanwhile, stocks were swayed by the back and forth of U.S. tariffs plans and concerns about an economic slowdown in the U.S. European equity futures jumped by 0.8%, and FTSE Futures climbed 0.3%. This was after the U.S. announced it would resume military aid to Ukraine and share intelligence with Ukraine following Kyiv's acceptance of a U.S. proposed ceasefire. Russia has not yet responded. In New York, the euro reached its highest level since October at $1.0947. It remained steady at...

MSCI's global equity gauge fell 1.7% on Monday after hitting a two-month-low earlier in the day. U.S. Bond yields also dropped, as investors became concerned about an economic slowdown following Donald Trump's refusal to rule out a recession related to tariffs. Investors began seeking safety even as early as the Sunday after Trump, in an interview with Fox News, talked about a "period transition". He declined to predict if his tariffs against China and Canada would lead to a U.S. economic recession. Robert Pavlik is a senior portfolio manager with Dakota Wealth, in Fairfield, Connecticut. He cited concerns about tariffs,...

The major stock indexes fell sharply on Tuesday. The Nasdaq Composite Index was down 10% since its record high in December, and Treasury yields declined as well. This is because the United States imposed steep tariffs on Canada, Mexico, and China, which has fueled investor concerns about the economic impact. The S&P 500 fell more than 1% while MSCI's global stock index dropped by 13.14 points or 1.54% to 842.67. The Nasdaq dropped 10% from the record high it reached on December 16, into correction territory. Wall Street was hit by a broad selloff, as all major sectors fell. Financials...

The European stock markets fell on Thursday after U.S. president Donald Trump threatened to impose tariffs of 25% on imports coming from the EU. However, stocks around the world remained largely stable as Nvidia's earnings did not reveal any major surprises. Trump caused confusion on Wednesday by announcing that the duties would go into effect on April 2 - a month later than originally planned. A White House official said that the March 4, 2014 deadline for levies was still in effect, "as of now", causing further confusion about U.S. Trade Policy. Trump has also proposed a "reciprocal tariff" of...

Investors weighed the prospects for tariffs, the economy and President Trump's policies as they assessed the dollar's performance in the early Asian hours of Thursday. Asian stocks were mixed, with tech shares in the region receiving little boost from Nvidia, the AI darling and heavyweight U.S. chipset maker. As trade war fears kept the market sentiment fragile, bitcoin, the cryptocurrency, remained below $85,000. Gold as a safe-haven remained steady at about $40 below its previous record high. Trump lowered the prospects for levies against Canada and Mexico, two of his top trading partners, by announcing that they would go into...

The European stock market hit a new record on Wednesday thanks to a draft U.S.Ukraine agreement on vital minerals, and strong corporate earnings. The U.S. Dollar rose as well after House Republicans approved President Donald Trump's tax-cut plans. U.S. Copper Prices Surge after Trump Ordered a Probe into copper imports. Wall Street was ahead of the hotly anticipated earnings from AI chipmaker Nvidia. The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives late on Tuesday narrowly passed Trump's $4.5 trillion tax-cut plan, sending the budget resolution to the Senate, where Republicans are expected to take it up. Lars Skovgaard is senior investment strategist...

The U.S. Treasury yields recovered some ground after the House of Representatives on Wednesday. You can also read about how to get ahead. The dollar and oil prices are struggling due to growing concerns about the U.S. economic outlook. After Trump ordered an investigation into possible new tariffs against copper imports on Tuesday, U.S. prices of copper rose by more than 4% overnight. The Republican-controlled U.S. House of Representatives late on Tuesday narrowly passed Trump's $4.5 trillion tax-cut plan, sending the budget resolution to the Senate, where Republicans are expected to take it up. Investors anticipate that more debt will...

Mike Dolan gives us a look at what the U.S. market and the global market will be like today. Wall Street was stung by Walmart's disappointing results. This cast a shadow over the U.S. consumers, just as the more buoyant European markets were awaiting the German election this weekend. In the last 24 hours, world markets were roiled by a slew of influences, including geopolitics and trade, as well as monetary policy, corporate earnings, and monetary policies that are often at odds. The biggest blow was caused by the retailer's failure to meet its profit and sales forecasts, citing the...

The Asian share market reached a new three-month high on Friday, as investors returned to Chinese stocks that were previously not popular due to the optimism surrounding artificial intelligence. Meanwhile, the U.S. exceptionalism narrative has continued to lose its luster. Gold was hovering near its record high, and it looked set to continue its gains for the eighth week in a row. Gold was boosted by flows to safe-haven assets due to fears over Donald Trump's threats to impose tariffs and during contentious discussions as the U.S. President pushes to end the Russia-Ukraine conflict quickly. MSCI's broadest Asia-Pacific share index...

European shares reached record highs on Monday, with defence stocks leading the way, as regional leaders demanded an urgent summit to discuss the Ukraine conflict amid increasing U.S. demands to increase military spending to ensure security. The pan-European STOXX 600 Index was up last 0.4% as a gauge for defence and aerospace stocks soared almost 4% in value to lifetime highs, after having more than doubled since Russia invaded Ukraine 3 years ago. Analysts have called this "supercycle" in the sector. It is expected that earnings will continue to grow in the defence industry due to the significant increase in...

European shares reached record highs on Monday, with defence stocks leading the way, as top leaders in the region called for an urgent summit to discuss the Ukraine conflict amid increasing U.S. demands to increase military spending to ensure security. The pan-European STOXX 600 Index jumped up to 0.4%. A gauge of defence stocks and aerospace stocks surged above 3%, reaching lifetime highs, after having more than doubled their value since Russia invaded Ukraine in 2013. Analysts have called this "supercycle" in the sector. It is expected that earnings will continue to grow in the defence industry due to the...

Asian stock markets fell on Monday, and U.S. equities futures were sharply lower as a result of U.S. President Donald Trump’s tariffs against Canada, Mexico, and China. This sparked fears of a global trade war that could harm the growth in the world. The U.S. Dollar soared to a new record high in offshore trading against the Chinese Yuan, the strongest level since 2003 versus Canada's currency, and the highest since 2022 against Mexico's Peso. Japan's Nikkei average fell as much as 2,3% in the opening minutes of trading. Australia's benchmark, which is often used as a proxy to Chinese...

Rusal, the Russian aluminium giant, announced on Friday that it has agreed to purchase a 26% share in an Indian alumina refining company for $243.75 millions and will acquire up to 50% over time. This move should help reduce Rusal's reliance on third party raw materials. Rusal is the largest aluminum producer in the world outside of China. Although the sanctions against Moscow for the conflict in Ukraine have not directly targeted Rusal, it has lost 40% of its alumina supply after Australia stopped exports to Russia, and Rusal closed its alumina refining plant in Ukraine. Rusal reduced its deficit...

The gold discounts in India reached their highest level in almost eight months this week, due to the record-high prices and customers staying away from other major hubs. Jewelers are reporting fewer sales. The rising price of bullion has caused a significant drop in demand. On Thursday, the domestic gold price reached a new record of 87.886 rupees for 10 grams. This week, Indian dealers offered a discount Up to $39 per ounce, including import duties of 6% and sales taxes of 3%, compared to a discount from $10 to $21 the previous week. A Mumbai-based dealer from a bullion...

This week, gold demand in India was low due to the near-record prices and jewellers' hesitation to buy at the end of the financial year. Harshad Ajmera, a wholesaler at JJ Gold House Kolkata, said that jewelers were wrapping up their financial accounts and weren't looking to purchase anything new. The Indian financial year runs between April and March 31. On Friday, domestic gold prices traded at around 85,860 rupies per 10 grams after reaching a record of 86592 rupies last month. This week, Indian dealers offered a discount The discount is down from last week's $12 to $27 per...

After tracking the movement of stocks, the London Metal Exchange (LME), announced on Thursday that it had temporarily suspended certain lending obligations for parties who held large quantities of cobalt inventories under its contract. When one party is in a dominant position on the exchange, lending rules are triggered. This forces that party to lend material to other investors. In a press release, the LME announced that it had canceled its requirement for parties with cobalt positions equaling 90% or more available inventories to borrow at a standard premium. The document added that the measure was designed to make sure...

India's demand for gold improved in the second week of this year, but it remained below normal levels as prices fell from their all-time highs. In China, traders continued to provide discounts as business remained lacklustre. A jeweller in Ahmedabad in India said, "Demand is starting to creep in, as prices are coming down. But many buyers still remain on the sidelines." On Friday, domestic gold prices traded at around 84.750 rupees for 10 grams after reaching a record of 86.592 rupees the previous week. This week, Indian dealers offered a discount The discount is now between $12 and $27...

Hong Kong Census and Statistics Department figures released on Tuesday show that China's total imports of gold via Hong Kong fell by 44.8% in January compared to December, and reached their lowest level since April 2022. Why it's important China is the largest consumer of gold in the world, and its buying activities can have a significant impact on global gold prices. Hong Kong's data might not be a complete view of Chinese gold purchases as it is also imported through Shanghai and Beijing. By the Numbers The data revealed that China imported 13.816 tons of goods in January, compared...

According to LME data released on Monday, one party controls up to 90% (or half a billion dollars) of the available London Metal Exchange aluminium inventories. The exchange doesn't reveal the identities of those who hold large positions. However, investors and traders often keep inventories in order to take advantage of looming shortages or meet their obligations to customers. Alastair Muuro, a senior base metals analyst at broker Marex said: "It would seem a reasonable assumption that it is a trader who wants to fill a short of metal. Munro said that this is reflected by a recent spate of...

The demand for gold in India fell this week as prices reached a record-high, causing retailers to reduce their retail sales and force dealers to offer discounts. Meanwhile, the demand in China, the world's largest consumer, also declined after Lunar New Year. The consumer is not ready to pay prices that are unprecedented. "They need time to adjust to this price rally," Ashok Jain said, owner of Mumbai-based wholesaler Chenaji Narsinghji. This week, the domestic gold price reached a new record of 86 360 rupees per 10 grams. The price of gold has risen by over 12% in 2025, after...

The stellar rise in global gold prices has cast a dark shadow over jewellery purchases during India's wedding season. Dealers in China have offered discounts to entice buyers. This week, benchmark gold prices reached a record of $2,942.70 per ounce as investors flocked to the safe haven due to fears about a possible global trade war sparked by new U.S. Tariffs. Customers are hesitant to purchase gold during the wedding season because of rising prices. "They keep calling us asking when prices will go down and when is the best time to buy", B Muthuvenkatram said, a jeweller in Coimbatore....

Raised prices dampened need for physical gold in many Asian centers today, while Indian dealerships offered the greatest discount rates in more than six months. In India, domestic costs hit an all-time high of 80,034 ($ 927.69) rupees per 10 grams on Friday, tracking the worldwide spot gold rates and hovering near a record high of $2,790.15 struck on Oct. 31. Retail need was minimal today due to the price increase. The majority of jewellery stores were experiencing thin footfall, a. Chennai-based bullion dealership stated. Indian dealerships this week provided a discount rate of. as much as $38 an ounce...

Asian dollar bond issuance is expected to increase around 20% in 2025 over last year, driven by Chinese financial obligation offers and as U.S. rate of interest cuts make it more economical for business to issue dollar bonds rather than regional currency financial obligation. In the first few days of 2025, at least $6 billion worth of dollar bonds were provided, LSEG data and term sheets reviewed by Reuters showed. Offers have been priced by the Export Import Bank of Korea and aluminium producer China Hongqiao Group. We are expecting about a 20% increase in dollar bonds out of Asia,...

Iron ore futures extended decreases to a second straight session on Monday, weighed down by slower production of hot metal in China, although stronger economic data from the leading customer restricted the fall. The most-traded May iron ore agreement on China's Dalian Commodity Exchange (DCE) ended morning trade 1.37%. lower at 758.0 yuan ($ 103.43) a metric load. The benchmark February iron ore on the Singapore. Exchange eased 1.19% to $97.65 a heap, since 0350 GMT. With the Chinese New Year vacation beginning in just 4. weeks' time, the pre-holiday stockpiling of iron ore will lend. some support to rates...