Global Markets:
- Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei up 2.28%, Shanghai Composite up 0.22%, Hang Seng up 0.41% ASX up 1.53%
- Commodities : Gold at $5,077.14 (0.95%) Silver at $82.380 (2.49%), Brent Oil at $69.33 (0.77%), WTI Oil at $64.51 (0.86%)
- Rates : US 10-year yield at 4.131, UK 10-year yield at 4.5110, Germany 10-year yield at 2.8040
News & Data:
- (USD) Core Retail Sales m/m 0.0% to 0.3% expected
- (USD) Retail Sales m/m 0.0% to 0.4% expected
Markets Update:
Asian stock markets are trading mostly higher on Wednesday, taking mixed signals from Wall Street, while investors remain cautious ahead of the closely watched U.S. monthly jobs report that could influence the Federal Reserve’s interest rate outlook. Japan’s market is closed for National Founding Day. Asian markets had ended mostly higher on Tuesday.
Australian shares are sharply higher, with the S&P/ASX 200 climbing nearly 1.5 percent to around 8,997, driven by gains in financial, mining, and energy stocks. The All Ordinaries Index is also up over 1 percent. Among miners, BHP, Rio Tinto and Fortescue are posting solid gains, while Mineral Resources is slightly lower. Oil stocks are mixed, with Woodside, Santos and Origin Energy edging higher, but Beach Energy falling more than 2 percent.
Technology stocks show varied performance. Block and Zip are higher, while WiseTech, Xero and Appen decline. Banking stocks are strong, led by Commonwealth Bank, which has surged nearly 8 percent after reporting record first-half earnings. Westpac, NAB and ANZ also advanced. Gold miners are mostly higher, though Northern Star and Resolute Mining dipped slightly.
CSL shares plunged over 6 percent following weaker earnings and the CEO’s departure. Aussie Broadband and James Hardie posted strong gains on positive corporate developments. The Australian dollar trades at $0.712. Meanwhile, Wall Street ended mixed, and oil prices edged slightly lower.
Upcoming Events:
- 01:30 PM GMT – USD Average Hourly Earnings m/m
- 01:30 PM GMT – USD Non-Farm Employment Change
- 01:30 PM GMT – USD Unemployment Rate
