Global Markets:
- Asian Stock Markets : Nikkei up 0.47%, Shanghai Composite up 0.19%, Hang Seng up 0.58% ASX down 0.11%
- Commodities : Gold at $3445.35 (0.19%), Silver at $38.08 (0.65%), Brent Oil at $67.19 (0.69%), WTI Oil at $64.8 (0.63%)
- Rates : US 10-year yield at 4.228, UK 10-year yield at 4.5370, Germany 10-year yield at 2.6432
News & Data:
- (USD) Crude Oil Inventories -3.0M to 0.2M expected
Markets Update:
Asian stock markets are trading mostly higher on Thursday, buoyed by Wall Street’s rally and renewed hopes of a U.S.–China trade deal, as President Trump signaled talks are progressing. Optimism around a possible U.S. interest rate cut in September also supported sentiment.
However, Australia’s ASX is bucking the trend, slipping 0.19% to 8,827.30, breaking a three-day winning streak. Iron ore miners and energy stocks are dragging the index down, with Rio Tinto, Fortescue, and Mineral Resources all dipping around 1%. Oil names like Woodside, Beach, and Santos are also in the red.
Tech shares are mixed, with Block and WiseTech posting small gains, while Appen and Zip fell sharply. Meanwhile, gold miners are shining—Northern Star and Newmont are both up over 1%.
In corporate news, ASX shares tumbled nearly 8% following government scrutiny and cost warnings. Westgold Resources surged 6% on a promising production outlook.Japan’s Nikkei gained 0.78%, lifted by financials and tech stocks. Notable gainers include M3 (+20%) and Shiseido (+9%). On the flip side, Kawasaki Heavy and Meiji Holdings dropped nearly 4%.
Elsewhere, Taiwan surged 2.3%, while most other Asian markets traded modestly higher. China and Hong Kong were slightly lower.On Wall Street, the Nasdaq led gains with a 1.2% rise, while oil prices slipped on renewed geopolitical concerns.
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