Volatility Persists as U.S.–China Relations Teeter Between Calm and Conflict
Global markets are caught in a cycle of indecision, with volatility staying elevated and sentiment shifting almost daily. The strained U.S.–China relationship continues to drive market mood, alternating between brief moments of optimism and renewed hostility. Any headline—positive or negative—can swing risk appetite sharply, leaving most major currencies stuck...
Risk-Off Mood Deepens as U.S.–China Trade War Expands to Shipping
Global markets turned sharply defensive today as renewed U.S.–China trade tensions reignited fears of broader economic disruption. Equities fell across Asia and Europe, while safe-haven demand lifted Yen and Dollar. The latest flashpoint emerged at sea, where both countries introduced new port charges on ocean shipping firms, adding a...
Nikkei Slumps as Investors Question Full Return of Abenomics Under Takaichi, Commodity Currencies Sink
Sentiment soured sharply in Asian markets, led by a steep selloff in Japan where the Nikkei reversed early gains to fall more than 3%. The downturn reflected a mix of political uncertainty in Tokyo and renewed caution over U.S.–China trade tensions. After months of strong gains, Japanese equities appear...
Calm Returns as Markets Bet on U.S.–China De-escalation
Global markets were notably calmer today as investors looked past last week’s turbulence and welcomed signs of a tentative thaw in U.S.–China trade relations. Asian stocks, which opened sharply lower, managed to recover most of their earlier losses by the close, while both European indexes and U.S. futures traded...
U.S.–China War of Words Jolts Asia, Yet U.S. Futures Signal Contained Fallout
Asian equities started the week sharply lower after renewed flare-up in U.S.–China trade tensions, though signs from U.S. futures suggested that sentiment hadn’t worsened materially beyond last Friday’s selloff. Hong Kong’s Hang Seng Index slumped nearly -3.5% by midday, leading regional loss. The declines came after Beijing recently tightened...
Trade War Shock Roils Markets in a Politically Charged Week
It was a week dominated by politics — both domestic and international — as shifting power dynamics and fresh policy risks rippled through global markets. In Japan, optimism surged after Sanae Takaichi’s victory in the ruling LDP leadership race, clearing the way for her to become the country’s first...
Loonie Rises on Strong Jobs Data, BoC Pressure Eases
Canadian Dollar strengthened notably in the early U.S. session after robust September employment data signaled that Canada’s economy was more resilient than anticipated in face of U.S. tariffs.. The upbeat data provided a welcome boost to the Loonie, which had already been one of the week’s top performers, and...
Yen Recovers as Tokyo Steps In, Worst of Selling May Be Past… for Now
Yen recovered modestly in Asian session as Tokyo officials reissued verbal warnings against excessive moves in the currency market. After the week's accelerated selling following Sanae Takaichi’s election as LDP leader, the latest remarks from Finance Minister Katsunobu Kato suggest Japan may be nearing an intervention threshold, at least...
Euro Under Fire Again as France’s Macron Hunts for Sixth Prime Minister in Two Years
Euro came under renewed selling pressure today, particularly in crosses, as investors reacted nervously to deepening political uncertainty in France. President Emmanuel Macron’s search for a new prime minister dominated headlines. His office confirmed that he would appoint a replacement “within 48 hours,” after outgoing Prime Minister Sebastien Lecornu...
Aussie Rises on Regional Tech Rally; Dollar Soft After Cautious Fed Minutes
Australian Dollar advanced in Asian session today, lifted by broad gains across regional equities and improving investor confidence. Japan led the advance, with a technology-driven rally pushing the Nikkei higher. Shares of SoftBank surged over 10% after the company announced plans to acquire the robotics division of Swiss engineering...
Gold Tops 4,000 as Investors Flock to Safety; Focus Turns to FOMC Minutes
Gold stole the spotlight in global markets today, surging past the 4,000 mark for the first time ever as investors poured into the metal amid mounting geopolitical risks and growing conviction that the Fed will deliver another rate cut later this month. The historic milestone marks another powerful leg...
RBNZ Sparks Kiwi Selloff, Yen and Euro Weakness Persists
The New Zealand Dollar fell across the board after the RBNZ surprised some with a 50bps rate cut and adopted an even more dovish tone than markets anticipated. The cut itself was not a shock—markets had speculated for weeks that a half-point move was possible—but positioning in the lead-up...
Dollar Steady Ahead of Fed Speeches, RBNZ Decision Looms
Dollar firmed modestly as markets transitioned into early US session. Despite the resilience, it remain skeptical whether the greenback could stage a breakout. While Dollar continues to outperform the struggling Yen, its strength against other currencies is refrained. Against Loonie, the greenback is losing traction as oil prices stabilize....
Yen Momentum Slows After Slide, But Japan Bond Market Faces Takaichi Test
Volatility across major currency pairs eased in Asian session today, with markets showing a brief pause after several sessions of outsized moves. Yen initially extended losses as the Nikkei 225 surged to another record high for a second straight day, but later steadied as profit-taking emerged following the sharp...
Euro Weakens as French Government Implodes, Macron Faces New Crisis
Domestic politics dominated global markets today, driving sharp moves in both European and Asian trading sessions. In Europe, political instability in France rattled sentiment, while in Japan, optimism over new leadership sparked a broad equity surge and a dramatic selloff in the Yen.
In European, CAC 40 slumped and Euro...
Yen Nosedives as Nikkei Surges on Takaichi Optimism; Asia in Holiday Lull
Japan occupies the spotlight in otherwise subdued Asian trading, with much of the region quiet due to Mid-Autumn Festival holidays. Nikkei 225 jumped sharply to another record high, powered by euphoria surrounding Prime Minister-in-waiting Sanae Takaichi, whose pro-growth agenda and fiscal expansion plans have ignited investor optimism.
That optimism came...
Shutdown Fails to Shake Risk Appetite; Dollar Slips, Not Sinks
A week with political paralysis in Washington ended with record highs on Wall Street — a telling sign of how investors are prioritizing Fed policy over fiscal drama. The U.S. government shutdown, now in effect after Congress failed to pass a funding bill, has frozen major data releases and...
Loonie Sinks as WTI Oil Nears $60, OPEC+ Hike Looms
Canadian Dollar remains the weakest major currency this week, pressured by a combination of falling oil prices and dovish stance of the BoC. Canada’s key export driver slumped to a four-month low with WTI crude threatening to break below 60 handle. That decline comes just as the BoC’s own...
Yen Pulls Back on Profit-Taking Ahead of LDP Vote, Dollar Steadies
Yen is paring back after a week of strong gains, as profit-taking sets in and domestic risk appetite strengthens. Japanese equities rallied sharply, driven by Hitachi’s announcement of a partnership with OpenAI to build AI data centers globally, bolstering optimism in the local market and easing demand for safe-haven...
Dollar Slightly Softer as Bessent Warns Shutdown Could Hit GDP
Dollar is slightly softer today but not under heavy selling pressure. US Treasury Secretary Scott Bessent cautioned in a CNBC interview that the current government shutdown could hurt economic performance. “We could see a hit to the GDP, a hit to growth and a hit to working America,” he...