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On April 12th, Maybank senior strategist Fiona Lim stated that while the market may be somewhat disappointed by the lack of progress in US-Iran negotiations, this was not entirely unexpected. The US dollar may gain further upward momentum at the opening on Monday. Some Asian currencies, particularly those of net energy importers such as the South Korean won, Philippine peso, Japanese yen, and Thai baht, began to weaken last Friday and may continue to face pressure this week.On April 12th, Saxo Banks Chief Investment Strategist, Charu Chanana, stated that the failure of the US-Iran negotiations was a setback. For the market, this means the previous easing of tensions is likely to fade. Oil prices may rebound, risk sentiment will be dampened again, and the Strait of Hormuz, even without a complete closure, will remain a real choke point risk. However, this is not surprising given the significant differences in the two sides positions on nuclear safeguards and the Strait of Hormuz issue. For the US dollar, this means some renewed safe-haven support, but unless there is a new military escalation, a broad-based surge is unlikely. Gold may benefit from renewed geopolitical hedging demand, but the market is not yet fully back to the worst-case inflation shock scenario.Kremlin: Russia is prepared to sell natural gas to Europe if there is still a surplus in supply to "alternative markets".Kremlin: Russia currently has only 17% to 18% of Donetsk Oblast in Ukraine out of control.Kremlin: Even if Russia doesnt sell natural gas to the EU, the EU will find ways to buy it.

Hang Seng Index, ASX200, Nikkei 225: Hang Seng Jumps on China PMI

Steven Zhao

Mar 01, 2023 15:37


Market Overview

It was a bullish Wednesday morning session for the Asian markets, with the Hang Seng Index leading the way. The Asian markets brushed aside bearish sessions for the Dow and the NASDAQ Composite Index. US economic indicators disappointed on Tuesday, with consumer confidence weakening for a second consecutive month and house price growth slowing.


The CB Consumer Confidence Index fell from 106.0 to 102.9 in February, with the S&P/CS HPI Composite n.s.a rising by 4.6% year-over-year in December. House prices were up 6.8% in November. Elevated US mortgage rates continue to impact buyer demand, with US mortgage rates bouncing back after a brief retreat.


On Tuesday, the NASDAQ Composite Index fell by 0.10%, with the Dow Jones and S&P 500 seeing losses of 0.71% and 0.30%, respectively. This morning, the US Futures reversed early losses. The Dow mini was up 16 points, with the NASDAQ mini flat.


Private sector PMI numbers from China delivered support to riskier assets this morning. After a China data void, today’s stats provided investors with much-needed relief. The all-important Caixin Manufacturing PMI increased from 49.2 to 51.6 in February. Economists forecast a PMI of 50.2. Significantly, the manufacturing sector expanded for the first time since July 2022.