Global Markets:
- Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei down 1.21%, Shanghai Composite up 0.09%, Hang Seng down 1.29% ASX up 0.13%
- Commodities : Gold at $4,446.61 (-0.35%), Silver at $77.615 (-0.03%), Brent Oil at $60.22 (0.42%), WTI Oil at $56.23 (0.43%)
- Rates : US 10-year yield at 4.142, UK 10-year yield at 4.4160, Germany 10-year yield at 2.8076
News & Data:
- (USD) ISM Services PMI 52.5 to 52.9 expected
- (USD) JOLTS Job Openings 52.5 to 52.9 expected
Markets Update:
Asian stock markets traded mostly lower on Thursday, although South Korean equities stood out after tech heavyweight Samsung Electronics posted a record quarterly operating profit. The company crossed the 20 trillion won mark for the first time in the fourth quarter, lifting sentiment in Seoul.
Market participants remained cautious as they assessed the likely interest-rate trajectory of the U.S. Federal Reserve this year amid intensifying geopolitical tensions and growing worries over the global economic outlook. Investors also digested mixed economic signals from the United States and awaited key jobs data, along with a Supreme Court decision on President Donald Trump’s global tariffs, for further market cues.
U.S. Treasury yields held on to overnight gains, while the dollar was largely steady against major peers on expectations that the Fed could deliver at least two rate cuts in 2026. Oil prices were mostly flat after two straight sessions of declines, supported by a larger-than-expected drawdown in U.S. crude inventories. Gold prices remained subdued following a sharp drop the previous session driven by profit-taking.
In Asia, China’s Shanghai Composite edged down 0.2 percent and Hong Kong’s Hang Seng fell 1.4 percent amid heightened geopolitical uncertainty. Japan’s Nikkei slipped 0.5 percent as tensions between China and Japan weighed on sentiment, with chemical stocks declining after China launched an anti-dumping probe into dichlorosilane imports from Japan.
South Korea’s Kospi rose 1.1 percent, helped by a 1.5 percent gain in Samsung shares. Australia’s S&P/ASX 200 added 0.2 percent, while New Zealand’s benchmark index ended marginally lower.
Upcoming Events:
- 01:30 PM GMT – USD Unemployment Claims
