Global Markets:
- Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei up 0.57%, Shanghai Composite down 1.08%, Hang Seng down 1.12%, ASX down 0.17%
- Commodities : Gold at $1325.30 (+0.19%), Silver at $16.55 (+0.26%), WTI Oil at $74.42 (+0.57%), Brent Oil at $68.34 (+0.43%)
- Rates : US 10-year yield at 3.026, UK 10-year yield at 1.542, Germany 10-year yield at 0.631
News & Data:
- (USD) Crude Oil Inventories 2.2M vs -1.6M expected
- (CNY) CB Leading Index m/m 1.70% vs 1.20% previous
- (CHF) Credit Suisse Economic Expectations 7.2 vs 16.7 previous
- (JPY) All Industries Activity m/m 0.40% vs 0.60% expected
- Kim Jong-un to meet Moon Jae-in at Korean border for summit
- Japan's Abe Says He's Not Thinking of Calling a Snap Election
Markets Update:
Asian markets traded on a mixed note today, although the tech results from the Wall Street have been promising. While the dollar continues to be at strong levels, its rally seems to have been halted at the moment.
Chinese equities have been under pressure today, owing to both macro-economic and geo-political reasons. Huawei appears to be the first casualty of the US-China trade war, with reports coming in that the FBI is investigating it for potential Iran sanctions violations. This comes as President Trump threatens to pull out of the Iran nuclear deal.
Tech stocks on the Hang Seng are also weak, with smartphone suppliers leading the rout, following Samsung’s cautious outlook for smartphone demand. Banks on ASX continue to trade lower, the spill-off from the regulator’s investigations and evolving policies continue.
10Y yield touched seven – year highs yesterday, although the Street seemed to downplay concerns about increasing costs and risk implications. The dollar index hovered around a 3 and a half month high. Crude oil prices were up amid the prospect of fresh sanctions on Iran and concerns about output from Venezuela.
Higher U.S. yields and a stronger dollar weighed on non-yielding gold, with spot prices slipping to a five-week low
Upcoming Events:
- 07:00 AM GMT – (EUR) Spanish Unemployment Rate
- 11:45 AM GMT – (EUR) Minimum Bid Rate
- 12:30 PM GMT – (EUR) ECB Press Conference
- 12:30 PM GMT – (USD) Core Durable Goods Orders m/m
- 12:30 PM GMT – (USD) Durable Goods Orders m/m
- 12:30 PM GMT – (USD) Unemployment Claims
- 10:45 PM GMT – (NZD) Trade Balance
- &more…
