Market Insights | Global Focus
Market Insights
Trading Tools
In May, US consumer prices were flat as cheaper gasoline offset higher rental costs, but inflation remains too high for Fed rate cuts.
The FTSE China A50 Index and Hang Seng Index rebounded sharply Thursday but still lag other major stock markets that hit record highs this year.
Japan’s Nikkei 225 hit a new record high with a nearly 2% rise on Tuesday, fueled by surging investor interest from both local and foreign markets.
Global equities fell Tuesday, Treasury yields rose on Powell's cautious tone, while the S&P 500 and Nasdaq 100 continued their record highs.
Gold steadied on Tuesday after a 1% decline due to a stock market rally and investor profit-taking. Asian buying enthusiasm also cooled down.
European shares fell on Friday due to losses in banks and energy stocks ahead of France's second round of parliamentary elections.
Labour achieved a historic landslide victory in the UK election, returning to power after 14 years. The outcome aligned closely with exit polls.
In May, the US added 272k non-farm jobs, surpassing Wall Street's expected 185k, with a slight uptick in unemployment to 4%.
The Australian dollar hit a 6-month high on Friday on the US slowdown and iron ore price rise, driven by China steel demand bets.
Gold prices neared a two-week high on Thursday, boosted by expectations of a Fed interest rate cut in September following labor market easing.
The ADP report showed 152K nonfarm private jobs were added in May, down from 188K in April and lower than the expected 173K gain.
The US stock market rose over 14% in H1, led by tech giants Nvidia, Microsoft, Amazon, Meta, and Apple, boosting the S&P 500's performance.
Asia-Pacific markets rose as Fed Chair Powell noted progress on inflation. Nikkei 225 surpassed 40,000 for the first time since March.
Oil prices remained steady on Tuesday, near two-month highs, due to expected rising fuel demand from the travel season.
Megacaps' unstoppable rise, central bank pivots, political turmoil, and M&A resurgence made the first half of 2024 a whirlwind in world markets.