South-East Asia

On Wednesday, bond prices rose and stock market gains slowed after U.S. retail figures that were weaker than expected. Meanwhile, the yen's rally has continued and could be signaling a change in investor sentiment since Japan's election. The dollar has been under pressure due to the upcoming release of U.S. employment figures. There is also the possibility that recent numbers will be revised downward. The holiday in Japan slowed trade in Asia, but the third consecutive session of gains in the yen saw it rise to 153.3 per $1. This prompted traders to wonder if it was riding high due...

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...

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...

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...

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,...

On Wednesday, global shares fell as fears grew over the impact of artificial intelligence on key sectors in the technology sector. Gold, however, was heading for its largest two-day increase in 17 years. The oil prices spiked briefly after?the United States shot a drone from Iran and armed boats approached a U.S. flagged vessel in a major waterway. Anthropic launched plug-ins on Friday for its Claude Cowork Agent, which raised concerns about the AI-driven disruption of these industries. European stocks dropped from record highs. Shares in companies like LSEG, RELX REL.L, and Wolters Kluwer WLSNc.AS, both of the Netherlands, fell...

The mood was lifted by the resurgence of gold and Asian stocks on Tuesday, as the trade tone cooled down after the wild swings seen in the metals market. A?deal reducing U.S. Tariffs against India also helped. Meanwhile, the Australian Dollar rose 'after an interest rate increase. The central bank of Australia joined Japan in tightening policy. It said that above-target inflation, coupled with a tight labour markets, justified the unanimous decision to raise the cash rate by 25 basis points. The markets had anticipated this move but are now trying to price in the follow-up for May, which was...

Gold and the dollar fell on Friday as global stocks rose, but the dollar rose. Nominated Kevin Warsh is his choice for the next Federal Reserve Chair. Warsh is a former Fed Governor and is seen as a supporter of lower interest rates. He is also considered one?of the?less radical choices from amongst all those who were suggested. The MSCI World Index was last 0.16% up as European shares rose, despite a drop in Asia-Pacific stocks. The pan-European STOXX 600 index was last 0.72% up, retaining gains made after Trump's announcement. It was on course to end January with a...

He said that the top Democrat of a U.S. House investigation committee had questioned global trading companies Vitol and Trafigura regarding any correspondence?with Trump's administration prior to the U.S. arrest?of a?Venezuela leader. This was done in order to find out who benefited from this action. Robert Garcia, a Representative from California, asked Vitol CEO Russell Hardy & Trafigura CEO Richard Holtum to provide all communication between their companies & any members of Trump's administration since January 2025. The U.S. captured Venezuelan President Nicolas Maduro in the first few days of this month. Trump's administration said that it would manage Venezuela's...

The dollar recovered its footing after it had fallen sharply on Tuesday, when U.S. president Donald Trump appeared to "shrug off" its recent weakness. Meanwhile, positive earnings kept the world stock market near record highs ahead of a Federal Reserve interest rate decision. The?U.S. The?U.S. European stock markets declined, but U.S. futures indicated a positive opening for Wall Street. Japan's blue chip Nikkei also gained. The MSCI World Stock Index was hovering at record highs. "Last Week, when it seemed like there was a flight away from the U.S., you saw equities fall, Treasuries take a hit, and the Dollar...

It's been difficult to find thermal coal exporters in recent years, given the soft prices and lower demand from China and India. For Indonesian miners, it was also difficult because of the uncertainty surrounding government policy. One group of coal exporters seems to be quite optimistic. South Africa's coal miners look forward to increased demand from India, their biggest buyer. They also anticipate improvements in rail infrastructure which will enable them to increase volumes. The coal that South African producers are seeing a high demand for, however, is not the coal used for electricity generation. Instead, it's for industrial processes...

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...

Tianqi Lithium Corp announced on Wednesday that it would raise approximately HK$5,86 billion ($750m)?via a convertible bond and share placement, and hoped to sell a?small stake?in Chilean'miner SQM?to bolster liquidity. The Chinese lithium producer listed on the Shenzhen-Hong Kong stock exchange announced that it had struck a deal with the Hong Kong Stock Exchange to issue 65,000,000 new H shares for HK$45.05 per share, or a discount equivalent to 9% of Tuesday's closing HK$49.50. This is worth approximately HK$2.9billion. Tianqi has also entered into a'subscription agreement' for 2.6 billion yuan ($375m) in zero-coupon convertible bonds due February 9, 2027. These...

Goldman Sachs & Macquarie raised their nickel price forecasts for 2026, citing a tighter ore supply in Indonesia after Indonesia signaled its intention to reduce production. Indonesia's Minister of Energy and Mineral Resources, Bahlil lahadalia, sparked an increase in nickel prices by mid-December when he pledged to reduce production. An official from the Energy Ministry confirmed that Indonesia will reduce this year's mining permits to 250 to 260 millions wet tons ore, down from 379 million in 2025. Nickel, the main component of batteries, is produced in Indonesia. Goldman Sachs has raised its nickel price forecast for 2026 to an...

Eramet fell on the Paris Stock Exchange on Monday after the sudden firing of its CEO, just months into his term, caught investors off guard and raised concerns about governance at the nickel-manganese-lithium miner owned in part by the French state. Eramet announced on Sunday that it had fired Paulo Castellari because of disagreements over "operating methods". It temporarily reappointed Christel Bories as Chairwoman, a role she had handed to Castellari in May last year. Analysts were stunned by the decision, and credited Castellari for his early efforts in restructuring the group. The group had?faced declining profits and rising debt...

Vietnam's President?said Thursday that the two sides had agreed to intensify diplomatic ties. Both sides are seeking to expand their international partnerships in light of disruptions caused by U.S. tariffs. The move is primarily diplomatic and does not involve any binding commitments. However, it carries political significance at a moment when the EU and Vietnam both seek to deepen and expand their international ties in light of the higher tariffs they are both facing on their exports to the United States. At the start of the meeting in Hanoi with Antonio Costa, President of the European Council, Luong Cuong described...

According to a draft of a joint statement that will be adopted by the two sides on Thursday, they want to increase trade and investments in critical minerals, semiconductors, and infrastructure. The document is eight pages long and subject to changes. It states that the EU will explore a possible transfer of defence tech to Hanoi as both sides strive for closer cooperation in "trusted" networks, at a moment when Chinese companies are winning contracts to develop 5G technology in Vietnam. The statement will be signed by the European Council's President Antonio Costa when he meets Vietnam's leaders on Thursday...

Goldman Sachs raised its London Metal Exchange aluminum price forecast for the first half of 2026 to $3,150 per tonne, up from $2,575. The investment bank cited a balanced global market that had supported investor confidence, without triggering an explosive production increase. Goldman Sachs also raised its forecast for the fourth quarter of 2026 to $2,500 from $2350, but kept its projection for 2027 at $2400. Goldman has revised its forecast for 2026 surplus from 1.1 million to 0.8 millions tonnes, but kept the 2027 surplus unchanged at 1.6million. It also raised its 2028 forecast to 2.3million, anticipating a higher...

A spokesperson for the country’s forestry taskforce told reporters that Danantara Indonesia, a sovereign wealth fund, will be taking over land taken from 28 companies linked to flooding and landslides on Sumatra. Last week, President Prabowo revoked business permits for the companies for 'alleged environmental violations that worsened floods in Sumatra last year. Barita Simanjuntak, spokesperson for the task force, said that the handover was already underway. She added that there would be "a comprehensive process" to minimise the impact on the workers and the surrounding communities of the removals. These companies are active in a wide range of sectors,...

The nickel price has been on a rapid rise as investors bet that Indonesia, which is the world's biggest producer of battery metals, will slow down its explosive output growth. The London Metal Exchange (LME) 3-month metal has risen from a low of $14.235 per metric tonne in mid-December to a peak of $18,905 on January 14, a level last traded in 2022. Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources minister Bahlil lahadalia, in mid-December, triggered a nickel resurgence with his?promise? to cut production. An official from the Energy Ministry confirmed that this year, the annual mining permits for ore will be...

The nickel price has been rocketing as investors bet that Indonesia, which is the world's biggest producer of battery metals, will slow down its explosive output growth. The London Metal Exchange's (LME) 3-month metal price has risen from a low in mid-December of $14,235 to a high of $18,905 on January 14, a level that was last traded in 2022. Indonesia's Energy and Mineral Resources Minister Bahlil?Lahadalia, mid-December, sparked the nickel revival with a promise of reducing production. An official from the Energy Ministry confirmed that this year's annual "mining" permits will be reduced to 250-260 millions wet tons ore,...

Copper prices rose on Friday, after Capstone Copper announced that a workers’ strike forced a production?halt at the Mantoverde Mine in Chile. The most traded copper contract on the Shanghai Futures Exchange closed daytime trade up 0.64% at 101,340 yuan ($14.553.65) per metric ton but ended the week lower by 0.52%. As of 0700 GMT, the benchmark three-month Copper on the London Metal Exchange had gained 1.30% and was expected to finish the week with a gain of 0.93%. The strike was triggered after Capstone and the largest union of mine workers failed to reach an agreement on collective bargaining....